Road To Love
by just-a-silly-romantic
Summary: Blaine Anderson takes up a part time job at Hummel Tires and Lube, where he meets the boss's beautiful son, Kurt Hummel...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first time writing any sort of real fanfiction, so I will be extremely flattered if anybody actually bothers to read/review this! Constructive criticism is not only welcome but appreciated :)**

**Chapters will be posted within a week (probably less) unless stated otherwise. Not sure how long it will be yet.**

**I do not own Glee or any of the characters in this story.**

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><p><strong>Road To Love: Chapter 1<strong>

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><p>"Excuse me, sir."<p>

Burt Hummel wiped his grease-covered hands on a dirty rag, grunting as he rolled himself out from under the car he was working on. He looked up into the stern, frowning face of the man who had spoken.

"There is something wrong with my car. The engine has been rattling since I left home, I don't think it's anything serious, in fact I could probably fix it myself if I had the right equipment. However, I need it sorted out immediately because I have a million things to do at the office today and I'm already late. So if you could please get onto it right away, I will pay you extra for the trouble."

Burt blinked up at the man, and got to his feet. "Sure thing buddy, just let me make a phone call first."

Burt took his cellphone out of his pocket and hit speed-dial.

"Dad?"

"Kurt, where are you? You were supposed to be at the garage 15 minutes ago."

Kurt sighed in annoyance. "Dad, I told you. I can't help out today; I promised Rachel I'd help her shop for a dress for her big anniversary date with Finn."

"Kurt, can't you -"

"Dad, look, I get that you don't really understand how important this is, but I assure you, it is a very serious matter! It's their one year anniversary, and she can't exactly wear a kitten sweater to a fancy-"

"-Okay, okay Kurt! I don't have time for this right now, but I could have really used some help here today. Look, I gotta go, I'll see you tonight. Make sure you're home by seven!"

"Yeah, dad. I'm sorry. I love you, bye!"

"Bye, kid. I love you too."

Burt sighed as he hit the 'end call' button, and turned back to the man, whose piercing dark eyes had not left him for the duration of the call. "Sorry about that. So what seems to be the problem, sir?"

The man had an interesting expression on his face, one of contemplation and mild excitement. Burt imagined a light bulb floating above his head of thick gel-slicked black hair.

"Are you Mr Hummel, then, the owner of this place?"

"That'd be me, but call me Burt."

"Excellent. Well, Burt, if you're in need of an extra pair of hands here, my son has been looking for some part-time work recently. I think a job like this could be…good for him. He needs to learn how to get his hands dirty. He knows a thing or two about cars too, don't worry…we fixed an old Chevvy up together earlier this year, and he's helped me with repairs on various occasions. Smart kid, hard worker. Very reliable."

Burt quirked an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah…that could be really handy, actually. My son sometimes helps me out but he tends to only do so when he feels like it. I'll tell you what, Mr….Uh..."

"Anderson."

"- Mr Anderson, I'll take a look at your car and then you can give me your son's contact details, and I'll see if we can work something out."

Mr Anderson smiled, and held out his hand for Burt to shake. "Pleasure doing business with you, Burt."

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><p>Blaine lay sprawled on his stomach across his bed, sheets of paper sprawled everywhere, frowning at his calculus homework. His cellphone lay just to his left and his laptop to his right. He had never been the best at avoiding procrastination, so when he heard a sharp rap at his door, he was grateful for the distraction.<p>

"Come in," he called, and raised his eyebrows in surprise when his dad entered. His dad almost never came up to his room – in fact, they rarely spoke at all beyond the expected pleasantries such as "good morning", "good night", "what do you mean you only got a B in Chemistry?" and "I wish you'd just meet her, Blaine, I promise you, she's a very nice girl."

"Do you have a minute, Blaine?" His dad asked, striding in and seating himself on Blaine's desk chair at the opposite end of the room. Blaine nodded.

"I spoke to a man today who owns an auto repair shop. Hummel's something-or-rather…anyway, he said he might be able to give you a job there. You should expect a call from him within the next few hours. I know it's not exactly in the line of work you've been looking into, but beggars can't be choosers and I think it would be good for you. You need to try new things, Blaine, instead of being so sure that you know what you want when you're only seventeen years old." Blaine tensed at his father's comment. He knew they were talking about more than just jobs.

"Fine, dad," he sighed, and his father nodded curtly before leaving the room. Blaine groaned and buried his face into the mattress.

It wasn't that his father was a bad man. He was very responsible, he loved Blaine's mother with all his heart, and when he had heard that Blaine was being bullied at his old school he immediately had him transferred to Dalton where he would be safe. He was, however, old-fashioned and very stubborn. He had made it very clear to Blaine that he didn't approve of his "choice of lifestyle", but he had also made it clear that he still considered Blaine to be his son. Blaine knew that his dad really wanted the best for Blaine; he just happened to think that being straight was what was best. As a result, their relationship was complex and tense. His dad had offered to pay for Blaine to attend college, but Blaine had decided to get a job and pay his own way so he wouldn't have to feel like he owed his father something for the rest of his life. He also wanted to prove to his dad that he could do it – that he was capable of taking care of himself. Blaine had hoped to get a job doing something he was really passionate about, like teaching piano or guitar to children, or singing in a café or restaurant. But those jobs were very hard to come by in Lima. Like his dad said, beggars can't be choosers, and he did know a few things about cars from all of his dad's attempts to "turn him straight". This was almost definitely another attempt to do so, but Blaine needed the money, and he was desperate. He decided that if Burt Hummel offered him a job, he would take it.

Just as he reluctantly turned back to his Calculus homework, his cellphone rang.

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><p>"I'm home!" Kurt called out in a happy sing-song voice as he walked into his house. He was in a fantastic mood. He had found the perfect dress for Rachel, and found a fabulous pair of knee-high white boots on sale for himself. On the way home, he had spotted David Karofsky from school, who had turned around to glare at him and ended up walking into a lamp-post, which was just icing on the cake.<p>

"Just on time, sweetie," called Carole, swooping in to kiss him on the cheek. "Go and sit down honey, I just served dinner." Carole was Kurt's stepmother, and he loved her more than he ever thought it was possible to love a stepmother. Disney movies had taught him that they were supposed to be evil and ugly, but Carole was simply adorable, and super sweet. It was unfortunate that Kurt used to have a huge crush on her son, and his now-stepbrother, Finn. Thankfully, however, they had both moved well past that, to the point where Kurt really thought of Finn as nothing more than his goofy but loving brother. Thinking of his past crush caused him to shudder violently, and he quickly pushed the thought from his mind before he lost his appetite.

He sat down at the dinner table, opposite his dad. "How was your day, dad? I'm sorry for bailing on you again, I know you needed my help. It's just that Rachel needed it more."

Burt swallowed the food in his mouth and smiled at Kurt. "It's cool, kiddo. I actually hired someone else to help me out today. Some kid called Blaine. His dad came into the shop, seemed like he needed a stick pulled out of his ass. But I talked to the kid and he seemed nice enough, so I figured I might as well give it a shot." Kurt blinked at his dad, finding himself becoming irrationally frustrated at this news. I mean sure, he could be unreliable at times, but did his dad really need to hire someone else? That was someone else he'd have to pay. And it also meant that Kurt probably wouldn't be working at the garage at all anymore, which meant he would hardly get to spend any time with his dad. He and his dad were extremely close, but very different, so their time at the garage was the only time they really got a chance to do stuff together. It was a huge bonding thing for Kurt and he always felt closer to his father because of it.

Burt seemed to sense Kurt's anxiety, and hurried to reassure him. "Don't think this means that you can't work there any more, kid. It'll just take some of the strain off both of us – if we're busy and you have somewhere you need to be, I'll still have Blaine to take some of the pressure off me. And don't worry, we can definitely afford it. Business has been booming lately." Kurt relaxed a little, and gave his dad a small smile. It wasn't fair of him to expect his dad to take on all that work on his own. If this new kid would help to ease some of Burt's stress, then that was a good thing. He just hoped that he and this Blaine guy didn't butt heads. They would likely be working together occasionally, and Kurt knew that macho mechanic-type guys would probably not appreciate his fabulousness. He might feel like Kurt, who was kind of obviously extremely gay, threatened his 'manliness'. Kurt frowned slightly, picking at his dinner. At least he knew that his dad would always be on his side, no matter what.

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><p>Blaine climbed out of his car on the morning of his first day working at Hummel Tires and Lube. He twisted his hands nervously as he walked towards the door. He had forgone his usual bowtie-and-suspenders combo for the day, in favour of simple jeans and a white t-shirt. He had a feeling a guy who owned an auto repair shop wouldn't really understand his fashion sense.<p>

The door was open, and Blaine could see a middle-aged man in a cap and blue coveralls already at work on a grey station wagon. A small red and white patch on his chest read 'Burt'. Blaine cleared his throat and smiled as he walked towards him. Burt turned to him and smiled back. "Hey," he said, wiping his right hand on a dirty rag and holding it out for Blaine to shake. "You must be Blaine."

"Yes, sir," Blaine said, nervously accepting the handshake. "I just wanted to thank you once again for this opportunity-" Burt cut him off.

"Don't mention it kid, you're doing me a favour. Why don't you head to the office out back, there's another pair of coveralls there, get changed and we'll get started right away." Blaine smiled nervously and headed to the office.

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><p>A few hours later, Blaine had decided that he liked Burt. A lot.<p>

They had worked in silence at first, Burt speaking only to give Blaine instructions or ask him to pass something from his toolbox, but as soon as he had asked Blaine about school, they had found themselves having a lengthy conversation flowing through a range of topics. Blaine had found out that Burt's son was the same age as he was, and his name was Kurt. He found out that both he and Burt supported the same football team, and shared a love of Classic Rock. Blaine didn't mention that he also had a love of showtunes and Katy Perry.

Conversation with Burt was easy. He was patient with Blaine as he learned the ropes, as it had been a while since he'd fixed a car and he was a little rusty. Burt assured him that he was a fast learner, and would be able to work on the cars alone in no time. Burt made a joke about Blaine gelling his hair down to come and work in garage, and Blaine blushed slightly and laughed, stopping abruptly when the door to the garage slammed open loudly and the most beautiful boy Blaine had ever seen walked (or rather, stormed) in.

The boy didn't seem to notice Blaine as he headed straight to Burt, angrily complaining about the fact that some other boy named Finn had almost burnt down the kitchen in an attempt to make scrambled eggs and he was sick of having to babysit the giant toddler. Burt calmed him down pretty quickly, assuring him that he would speak to Finn.

Blaine was aware that he was staring at the boy, but he couldn't seem to look away. 'Beautiful' didn't even begin to describe him. His skin was pale, smooth, and absolutely flawless. His thick brown hair was coiffed up at the front and framed his face perfectly. His nose was adorable with its slightly upturned tip, and the combination of his pale yet radiant complexion and impeccably defined features made him look positively angelic. Blaine couldn't help but focus his gaze on the boy's lips, which were pink and perfect and looked so soft, and Blaine just wanted to taste them. And his body, _sweet jesus_ – he was dressed impeccably, but Blaine barely noticed his outfit as he was too busy taking in his long and slender legs, trim waist, and broad shoulders. The way his skin-tight white jeans clung to his legs was positively sinful, and _oh god_, why was he even having these thoughts about a guy who he had only just laid eyes on?

Blaine had no idea how long he stood and stared at the boy in awe as he talked to Burt. It might have been 10 seconds, or 10 minutes, he wasn't quite sure. Eventually, their conversation ended, and this snapped Blaine out of his daze somewhat. He felt a blush beginning to rise in his cheeks, and at that moment, the boy seemed to finally realise that Blaine was there, and turned to look him. His breathtakingly beautiful glasz eyes met Blaine's, and it was if, for a moment, the world stopped turning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Road To Love: Chapter 2**

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><p>Blaine Anderson could not stop thinking about Kurt Hummel.<p>

After their eyes had met in the garage, Burt had briefly introduced Kurt to Blaine. To say that Blaine was surprised that this was the son Burt had mentioned earlier would be a huge understatement. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't the beautiful, fiery, and obviously gay boy that Blaine found himself so strongly drawn to.

_Oh god_, Blaine thought to himself._ I have a ridiculous and unhealthy infatuation with my boss's gay son, who will be working with me, at the place my dad sent me to in the hopes of "straightening me out"._

_This is bad._

_This is very, very bad._

He quickened his pace down the halls of Dalton Academy, the all-boys school in Westerville where he boarded during the week. Dalton was a fantastic school, and Blaine had a lot of good friends within the school. He also happened to be one of the most popular boys in school, as he was the lead singer of the school's Glee club, the Warblers. The Warblers were like rockstars at Dalton. Blaine was highly grateful for Dalton Academy's zero-tolerance anti-bullying policy, which allowed him to be out of the closet, and kept him protected in a way that his old school never could.

Turning the corner into the dining hall, Blaine finally spotted his friends that he had been searching for. He needed to speak to somebody about Kurt. This whole situation was entirely new to Blaine, and it was doing his head in.

He approached the table where his friends Wes and David were seated, arguing rather headedly over the Warblers' set list for sectionals. Blaine sighed dramatically as he dropped into the chair opposite them, hoping to attract their attention. Neither of them even looked up. Blaine frowned in irritation, and cleared his throat loudly.

"Oh, hey Blaine," Wes said distractedly, before returning to his argument with David.

"Guys, I really need to talk to you about something," Blaine said impatiently.

"Can it wait, Blaine? David and I really need to sort out this set list. It is vital that we leave enough time to practice all the numbers thoroughly if we are going to beat those New Directions kids."

Blaine's eyes widened. "Did you just say _Nude Erections_?"

David snorted. "Everything is nude erections with you, Blaine. No, it's N-E-W D-I-R-E-C-T-I-O-N-S. Ridiculously named, I know. Almost as bad as Aural Intensity...These Glee club directors are all a bunch of perverts, I swear."

Wes looked at David disapprovingly. "David, will you focus please?"

"Sorry. Blaine, shut up, Wes and I have songs to discuss and it is serious business."

Just then, Nick and Jeff showed up at the table, hands clasped, making goo-goo eyes at each other as usual. Blaine sighed in relief. They would probably be willing to hear him out, if they could manage to keep their tongues out of each other's mouths for five minutes.

"Thank god you guys are here. Wes and David are terrible friends and I could really use some advice."

"Sure Blaine, what's up?" Jeff asked, as he and Nick sat down. Nick promptly cuddled into Jeff's chest and began feeding him grapes. Blaine resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"My boss's son looks like an angel sent from heaven. A sexy angel that wears skinny jeans and likes other boys," he blurted out. Jeff stared at Blaine for several seconds before laughing loudly and almost choking on a grape in the process. Nick patted Jeff on the back for a few seconds until he was sure he was not dying, then burrowed his face into Jeff's neck and chuckled. Blaine frowned.

"It is not funny! I don't know what to do! I won't be able to concentrate if I have to work with him! I will end up either breaking something because I am too distracted and getting myself fired, or pushing him up against a car and ravishing him and getting myself fired, or doing some other stupid thing that ends in me getting fired!" Jeff stopped laughing at this, and regarded Blaine seriously.

"You serious, bro? You met this guy what, once, and you're already like, in love with him or something?"

Blaine considered this for a moment. He had never believed in love at first sight. It had always seemed so cliché and unrealistic. He still didn't know anything about Kurt, really. He couldn't possibly be in love with him, could he? "I don't know...I mean, I don't think that I'm in love with him," he said finally, his brow furrowing as he tried to think of the best way to describe how he felt. "I just…like…can't stop thinking about him. And it's not just that he's gorgeous…although he is, definitely…but when I looked at him, something felt different. I felt like something inside me finally clicked. It was like, 'oh, there you are. I've been looking for you forever'. Y'know?"

Blaine swallowed nervously, as he waited for Jeff to start laughing at him again. Instead, Jeff looked at Nick, and they stared into each other's eyes for a moment before turning back to Blaine with soft smiles on their faces. Jeff wrapped his arm tighter around his boyfriend. "Blaine, I think I understand exactly what you mean."

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><p>Kurt Hummel could not stop thinking about Blaine Anderson.<p>

He had been wandering around school all day in somewhat of a daze, his head filled with images of big warm hazel eyes framed by long eyelashes. He imagined running his fingers through the thick, curly black hair on Blaine's head (after washing that ridiculous amount of hair gel out, of course). Sitting in math class, he remembered how the sweat had shined on the light brown skin of Blaine's neck, and how his toned body had been visible even beneath the coveralls he wore, which had been slightly unbuttoned at the front. Kurt struggled to suppress a moan, and attempted to focus on the equations in front of him, but his efforts were in vain. His thoughts kept drifting back to the mind-blowingly handsome boy, who was now working for his dad and was almost definitely straight. _Shit._

As Kurt headed to the cafeteria for lunch, not really taking note of his surroundings, he was suddenly shoved violently into a locker. His head hit the metal with a loud bang and he winced. He looked up at the face of David Karofsky, the bully who had been picking on him for years. He glared up at Karofsky with as much anger and fierceness as he could muster, but the large boy just sneered at him. "Later, faggot," he snarled, sauntering off down the hall. The crowd parted for him as they did for all the guys who wore letterman jackets. The students at McKinley had quickly learned that unless you wanted to be slushied every day, you didn't get in the way of the football players. Kurt thanked his lucky starts that he hadn't been slushied today, as he had risked wearing his brand-new Alexander McQueen jacket.

He sighed dejectedly and made his way into the cafeteria, sitting with the rest of McKinley High's Glee club, New Directions. His best friend Mercedes, a curvy and stunning African-American girl with an attitude to rival Kurt's, took in his facial expression and immediately tensed in her seat.

"Was it Karofsky again? Are you okay, Boo?"

Kurt hesitated before nodding. "Yeah…I just wish the stupid Neanderthal would leave me alone. It's not like I've done anything to him."

"That asshole," Puck hissed. "What did he do this time?"

"Just the usual crap, shoving me and throwing gay slurs around. Please don't do anything. You'll only make it worse, and get yourselves suspended." His friends seemed unwilling to back down, but Kurt was sick of this. He was sick of everyone getting angry but nothing ever changing. He picked at his salad with a frown on his face. Karofsky never failed to put him in a horrible mood every time he showed his stupid face. He was like a constant reminder that Kurt was neither accepted nor safe, even in an environment that was supposedly meant to protect him from harm. His friends did their best to shelter him when they could, but there wasn't that much they could do, really. Not when the school seemed determined to turn a blind eye to all forms of bullying that would actually require some kind of effort to resolve.

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><p>When Kurt arrived back home after school, his palms were sweaty and his heart was racing. He knew that Blaine was working in the garage today, right next to his house. He may or may not have glanced at his work schedule on his dad's desk the day before. He mentally berated himself for having such a ridiculous reaction to a straight male employee of his father's that he had only just met. <em>Geez, Kurt. You sure know how to pick 'em,<em> he thought to himself.

He stomped into his room and decided to attempt to read his novel for English class, but his mind kept wandering back to Blaine, and that shift that he had felt when their eyes had met. Blaine had looked at him with such a strange, unreadable expression on his face. Kurt sighed. He had probably just been trying to hide his disgust and disappointment at the fact that Kurt was Burt's son.

After an hour of frustration and reading the same sentence over and over again without taking anything in, Kurt swore loudly and got off his bed. He paced back and forth in his room for a moment, before marching into the living room. He knew this was a bad idea, but he just needed to see Blaine again. He was surprised to find see Rachel Berry seated on his couch.

"Hey Rachel, what's up?"

"Oh, hello Kurt. I'm just waiting for Finn, we have a date, but he said he was running a bit late. Where are you headed off to in such a rush? You look a little agitated."

Kurt blinked at Rachel. She was good at reading people, he'd give her that. "I was just going to take a drink out to my dad and the new guy he hired," he answered honestly.

"Great, I'll help you!" Rachel smiled widely, and Kurt was actually a little grateful that he would have somebody with him when he faced Blaine again. He wanted to avoid a repeat performance of the other day when they had met. Upon seeing Blaine, his brain had decided to short-circuit and he had ended up standing there and staring like an idiot before practically sprinting from the room.

Rachel helped Kurt grab the drinks from the fridge before heading out to the garage. Kurt opened the door.

"Hey, kiddo," Burt said cheerfully, taking the beer from Kurt's hand. "Thanks. How was school?"

"It was…umm…fine," Kurt stammered, desperately trying to look anywhere but at Blaine, whose shape he could vaguely make out in his peripheral vision. When he heard Blaine thanking Rachel for his drink, he nearly swooned. His voice was so smooth and gentlemanly, dripping with sweetness and a hint of seductiveness…he sounded like a goddamn Disney prince, or something.

Kurt caved and looked over at Blaine, who was now making small talk with Rachel. Blaine suddenly looked up and made direct eye contact with Kurt once again. He froze, and Blaine looked like a deer caught in the headlights, before blushing bright red and quickly turning back to Rachel. Kurt felt heat rising in his own cheeks, and looked down at his feet._ Shit_, he thought. _Shit, shit, shit. Now you've done it, you've gone and been blatantly obvious. He knows you like him and now you've made it awkward and uncomfortable. Stupid, stupid…_

"I'll see you later, dad!" He squeaked, and hurried from the room. He walked over to one of the windows and peeked in, seeing Blaine and Rachel still talking and laughing. If he didn't know any better, he'd say Rachel was flirting with Blaine. The way she giggled and touched his arm, and twirled her own hair around her index finger…Kurt felt a sudden pang of jealousy and anger, and tried to decipher Blaine's reactions to her flirting. He looked a tad skittish, yet seemed to be responding. Kurt glared at Rachel's back.

After about five minutes, Rachel said goodbye to Blaine and joined Kurt outside. Kurt grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her back towards his house.

"What the hell was that, Rachel? You're with Finn! You're dating my stepbrother, why were you flirting with Blaine?" Rachel just smirked at him.

"Yeah, but Blaine doesn't know that I'm with Finn. I was doing you a favour." Kurt blinked down at the short girl. He didn't like the way her eyes were twinkling knowingly.

"How is flirting with Blaine doing me a favour?"

"Well," Rachel stated matter-of-factly, "I happened to notice the way you avoided looking at him and then blushed when you accidentally made eye contact, so I figured I'd help you to determine his sexuality for sure, as you are very clearly interested in him and I am an expert matchmaker."

Kurt stared at Rachel in shock and horror. She kept talking without missing a beat.

"I approve of your tastes, Kurt. He is certainly very attractive, and quite the gentleman. He seemed to be responding to my advances, but it could simply be that he is a very nice and rather clueless person. I would say there is at least a 40% chance that he plays for your team, based on the fact that he kept glancing at you every few seconds before you left, and blushed when you two made eye contact." Rachel stated this figure as if it were a concrete, incontestable fact.

"He…he was probably just uncomfortable, and trying to figure out the best way to kick my ass!" Kurt spluttered. "He's a mechanic. He fixes cars, and stuff. There's no way he's gay."

Rachel raised an eyebrow and regarded Kurt for a moment.

"Oh, shut up," he muttered. "It's different with me. I do it because of my dad."

"Well, Kurt, despite your rather ironic stereotyping of mechanics," Rachel said as Kurt glared at her, "I think you should find out for sure, then you maybe you'll be able to work with him without blushing every time he glances in your direction." With that, she smiled, turning on her heel and skipping back towards the house.

Damn Rachel Berry and her people-reading skills.

As much as he hated to admit it, however, Kurt knew that Rachel had a good point. If he really wanted to get over his stupid crush or whatever it was, his first step would be to determine with absolute certainty whether Blaine was, in fact, straight. Then hopefully the knowledge that nothing could ever happen between the two of them would be enough to snap Kurt out of this ridiculous state. He had learnt his lesson with Finn. Straight guys are off-limits and there is absolutely no point in wasting time pining over them. Also, they usually have lots of disgusting secret habits anyway. Like passing gas in public and not conditioning their hair. He wrinkled his nose.

Now he just needed to formulate a plan. A "gay test", one might say. Kurt smirked slightly as he ran inside the house and straight up to his room, ignoring Rachel and Finn who were now making out on the living room couch. Grabbing his cellphone, Kurt dialled a number that he had never thought he would ever call, and held the phone to his ear.

"Hello, Santana? It's Kurt. I need your help."

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><p><strong>AN: I'm sorry but I just **_**had **_**to include some Niff fluff lol. I love them too much not to.**

**I would like to thank everybody who left me such lovely reviews on my first chapter! It was super exciting to get such a positive response *hugs all of you***


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry about the late update, I tried to publish this chapter earlier but there was a site glitch which was preventing people from viewing updates for a while. Annoying! Anyway, here's chapter 3.**

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><p><strong>Road To Love: Chapter 3<strong>

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><p>Kurt was surprised to find that, once he had fully explained his situation, Santana was actually <em>very <em>willing to help him. _Perhaps a little too willing_, he thought for a moment, but he quickly pushed that thought aside. Santana was his friend (most of the time), and she was the best person to help him execute his plan.

At 1pm on Saturday afternoon, Kurt pulled on his pair of blue coveralls and headed out to the garage where his father and Blaine were working. It had been a week since he had last seen Blaine and it had felt like torture, even though both of their previous encounters had been brief and quite embarrassing.

When he reached the garage, he took a deep, calming breath before opening the door and entering. When Blaine looked up at him, he swore he felt his heart skip a beat, and it took all the inner strength he could muster to shoot Blaine a confident and seemingly unfazed smile. Blaine just stared. Kurt quickly turned to his dad as his stomach somersaulted. Burt was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You know today's Saturday, right Kurt? Blaine's here, we're well staffed."

Kurt smiled and skipped over to his father happily. "Dad, you have worked here 6 days a week, 8 hours a day for as long as I can remember. Now that you have 2 extra staff members, you can enjoy the wonderful freedom of what is called a _well-earned break_. Let Blaine and I watch the shop for the rest of the day. We'll be fine, it's a quiet day, and you know that I'm much better with the cars than I like to admit."

Before Burt could argue, Kurt grabbed him by the arm and dragged him towards the door. "Go inside, dad. Watch some football, have a beer, do gross kissy things with Carole or something. Have a great day, ok? Bye!" And with that, he pushed his dad out the door and shut it behind him.

Kurt leaned against the closed door and heard Burt's footsteps receding as he muttered fondly - "bloody kid…just like his mother, can't make up his damn mind…last week he was beggin' me to let him get out of helping…"

_Well_, Kurt thought. _That was before Blaine showed up._

Surprised at how easy it had been to get rid of his dad, he immediately pulled his phone out of the pocket of his coveralls and texted Santana that the plan was a-go. Once he sent the message, he looked up to find Blaine still staring at him with wide eyes. Beautiful wide eyes, with a little curl of hair hanging down in front of them and his mouth slightly open…Kurt gulped, and Blaine suddenly jumped and turned away, shuffling awkwardly.

"Guess we ahh…better get back to work then," Kurt said, grateful that Blaine's back was turned as he examined the car in front of him, because he was sure that his face was bright red.

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><p>An hour later, Santana still hadn't showed. Kurt was a bit worried, but he was sure she'd pull through eventually – she wasn't really one to break promises, although she was certainly the kind of person who would do things in her own way and on her own time. He should just be grateful that she had agreed to this in the first place.<p>

In the meantime, he and Blaine had been hard at work in a very tense and awkward silence. Kurt knew why it was awkward for him – he couldn't so much as look at Blaine without forgetting how to breathe, but he had no idea why Blaine seemed so jumpy around _him_. He was beginning to get really worried that Blaine had noticed how Kurt had been acting, and it had made him feel awkward and uncomfortable. The thought made Kurt extremely nervous, and he knew that he needed to ease the tension somehow. The silence felt unnatural and heavy. The problem was that he wasn't sure whether he would actually be able to form a coherent sentence in Blaine's presence.

Just as he was about to suck it up and attempt to start a conversation, he heard the sound of a car with loud music approaching. He breathed out a small sigh of relief, glad to have an excuse to put off the inevitable. _This must be Santana and Brittany_, he thought. But what rounded the corner was most certainly _not _what he had ordered. His jaw dropped in shock.

A huge red and white van pulled up outside the garage, with the letters "WMHS" (standing for "William McKinley High School") painted on the side. Blaine looked up curiously, but Kurt's mouth was dry as he dreaded what was going to come out of that van.

His worst fears confirmed, the door of the van opened, and out hopped the _entire _Cheerios team. And, what's worse, they were clad only in red bikini tops and their extremely short Cheerios skirts. Spotting Santana, he shot her the fiercest "don't you DARE" glare he could muster, but she only winked at him before scanning the garage and fixing her eyes on Blaine, who was standing a few feet away from Kurt, his mouth open in surprise. At least, Kurt _hoped_ it was surprise, and not lust. Santana smirked, and made her way over to him, the Cheerios following her lead.

"Hey there, sexy," she remarked as she approached Blaine, who seemed unable to close his mouth or speak. She put one hand around the back of his neck to play with his curls, and the other hand on his chest.

"You're cute, like a puppy," Brittany piped up next to her. "I would pet your fur too, but I don't want Lord Tubbington to smell it on me and think I was cheating."

"I tell you what, gorgeous," Santana said in a sultry tone, "you give us a free tyre change, and you can make out with as many of us as you like. Or even better, you could _not _give us a free tyre change, and we could just make out with you anyway." The rest of the Cheerios giggled and stepped closer to Blaine. He looked absolutely mortified.

Kurt was reminded of a pack of wild animals closing in on their innocent prey. And Kurt was the heartless wildlife photographer. If he wanted to, he could intervene, but he had a job to do, and that job was to observe. To intervene would be counter-productive. He was furious with Santana, however. When he had called her, he had asked her to show up at the garage with Brittany and for both of them to flirt shamelessly with Blaine, and ask him out on a date with the both of them, at the same time. This was a technique that they had used on Finn, and possibly many other clueless guys, in the past. Santana and Brittany were two of the hottest girls in the school – and Santana's confident sex appeal coupled with Brittany's seemingly innocent charm made them almost impossible for any unattached straight guy to resist. Kurt had thought that it was a flawless plan. But the _whole Cheerio's team?_ He was sure that Santana was just doing this for her own sick amusement. He was sure that even a straight guy would be freaked out by it. And Kurt really didn't need the whole team knowing about his crush on Blaine. Most of them couldn't keep their mouths shut to save their lives, and pretty soon the whole school would know, and then Kurt would get hell for it, and it might even get back to Blaine…

_I am going to kill Santana, _he thought.

The Cheerios were advancing on Blaine, caressing his chest and biceps, whispering into his ear and giggling, and rubbing their bodies all over him. Kurt swore he even saw Quinn (Quinn, of all people!) grab his ass.

Suddenly, Blaine seemed to regain the ability the move his limbs, and he scrambled frantically around to the other side of the car, trying to put as much distance between him and the girls as possible. When he spoke, his voice came out squeaky and it sounded like he was completely terrified. "Umm, ladies, this is all very flattering, but… umm, I'm not really…I can't…I'm working, I have to get back to work, I really…"

"What's the matter, babe? I'm sure Kurt will be willing to cover for you if you want to join us in the van for a few minutes. Won't you, Kurt?" Santana crooned, turning to him expectantly. He looked back at Blaine, who had turned to Kurt with horrified, pleading eyes, and he shook his head very slightly. He clearly did NOT want to get into that van.

"Actually Santana, I think it's time you left. Blaine is here to work."

Santana looked slightly miffed at Kurt's unwillingness to go along with her, but upon seeing the death glare Kurt was giving her, she seemed to decide that it would be best to wrap things up. "Come on, girls," she called, and they whined in protest as they followed her back to the van, smiling and waving at Blaine as they got in.

As the van drove away, Kurt heard Blaine breathe a loud sigh of relief. He looked over at Blaine, who was leaning against the car, hair dishevelled. At some point during that attack, the girls had unbuttoned the front his coveralls, and Kurt could see his collarbone and a few inches of his muscled chest beneath his white t-shirt. He swallowed.

After taking a few deep breaths, Blaine looked up at him. "Thanks for saving me," he said with sincerity. Kurt smiled.

"Anytime."

* * *

><p>When Blaine pulled up to his house in the evening, he was relieved to see that his father's car was not there. He felt a twinge of guilt for being glad that he wasn't home, but the truth was, his father's presence just made everything feel tense. Blaine felt like he was constantly walking on eggshells around him.<p>

He parked his car and headed inside. Upon entering the house he was hit by the delicious smell of his mom's cooking. He smiled, and headed to the kitchen. His mom's back was to the door, and she was in the process of preparing dessert while a roast cooked in the oven. She had the radio on and was singing along to Madonna loudly as she poured chocolate batter into a baking tray. She sounded amazing – Blaine knew that he had gotten his singing voice from his mother.

Blaine snuck up behind her, and joined in at the chorus. She jumped in surprise, but smiled when she saw him, and pulled him into a hug. They finished singing the song together, and a soft warmth spread throughout his body.

Blaine got along with his mother amazingly well. He found it hard to believe that she and his father could ever have fallen in love, as they were pretty much polar opposites. Unlike his father, his mom was gentle, sweet, and had always been nothing but loving and accepting towards Blaine. In fact, Blaine being gay was probably the one issue that caused tension between his parents, which made him feel guilty. When he had first come out, his dad had yelled at him so loudly that Blaine had been genuinely scared of him, and he had threatened to kick Blaine out of the house. But then Blaine's mom had taken his dad by the hand and led him into the lounge to talk. Blaine still didn't know what she had said to him, but half an hour later they had emerged. While his father's face had been solemn, he had apologised for his outburst, and assured Blaine that he would always love him, even though he wished he was straight. He had then left to go for a drive while Blaine's mom hugged Blaine for hours and let him cry into her shoulder until her blouse was soaked.

Because of his parents, Blaine had always believed in the saying "opposites attract". They balanced each other out. As much as Blaine believed that his mother was actually too good of a person for his father, she had assured Blaine multiple times that he was a good man, and Blaine knew that she would be miserable without him. Even though he didn't really understand the dynamics of their relationship, their love gave him a certain sense of hope. It made him believe in soulmates.

After they had finished singing, Blaine's mom gave him the bowl that had contained the cake batter to lick clean, like when he was a kid. They sat at the dining table together and she asked him how his day had been.

"Ugh, awful," he responded. "I was sexually harassed."

"WHAT?" His mother screeched, her jaw dropping.

Blaine jumped in shock at her outburst. "No, mom, relax, I'm kidding," he said, and relief washed over her face. "Well, I'm sort of kidding…a group of half-naked cheerleaders came by the garage today and started _molesting _me. They kept…touching my hair…and arms…and then they propositioned me to make out with them in their van. And the leader, she was _scary, _mom, seriously, she looked like she was going to eat me…_why are you laughing?_"

His mom was doubled over the table in silent laughter. She looked up at Blaine and he could see tears building in the corner of her eyes. He scowled at her. "It's not funny! I am traumatised! I might need therapy! Will you _stop laughing?"_

It took her a good five minutes to stop, gasping for breath as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Blaine continued to glare at her for finding his misfortune amusing.

"I'm sorry," she gasped, "It's just that…you were propositioned by a team of cheerleaders…that's every man's dream, my darling. That's something that just doesn't happen outside of porno movies. But it happened to you, and…you're _gay_!" She broke into laughter once again, even harder this time. Blaine tried to continue glaring at her, but he began to feel the corners of his mouth curl up in spite of himself. Come to think of it, it was kind of funny…Wes and David would be _so _jealous when he told them. He chuckled. Pretty soon, he and his mom were both a giggling mess.

* * *

><p>A few hours after Blaine had left the garage, once Kurt had had some time to calm down, he sat on his bed and called Santana.<p>

"Hummel," she answered, and Kurt felt frustration bubble inside him once again, as he could practically hear her smirking at him.

"You bitch, what did you do that for?" He growled, trying to keep his voice down so his dad wouldn't hear.

"Calm down, princess, I did you a favour," she sighed, sounding bored. "I just had a little fun with it, that's all. And don't worry, I didn't tell any of the girls why we were doing it, except Brittany and Quinn. They were totally willing to go and hit on a random hot guy without any explanation."

Kurt felt a little relief at this, but he was still angry. "Well, you should have let me know what you were going to do. Blaine looked terrified!"

"Isn't that a good thing? If he's traumatised by boobs, you get what you want."

"ANY guy would be freaked out by that oestrogen attack that you set up, Santana! He probably thought you were all insane!"

"No, you're wrong. He's either totally gay, or he's a blushing virgin. He wasn't even_ slightly_ tempted to take us up on our offer. Guys think with their dicks, Kurt. Always. "

Kurt frowned slightly at this. She seemed pretty sure. "Well, which is it?" He asked. "Gay, or blushing virgin? I'm a virgin too, you know."

"Yeah, and we all know you're a prude," she said. "Look, I've done my part; you'll have to tackle the final hurdle yourself. Use your secret weapon."

"Oh yeah, and what would that be?"

"Your ass."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Jesus, Hummel, you're such a girl! You're actually pretty hot, you know. You're not really my type, but Brittany thinks so. Mercedes used to have a crush on you. We all know Rachel wishes she had a dick so you two could get it on. If there were actually some out gay guys in Lima, you'd probably get more play than Puckerman."

Kurt gaped, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, embarrassed and completely at a loss for words. He had never really thought of himself as attractive before. He was sort of _pretty_, sure, but since when is _pretty _an attractive quality in a guy? Was Santana actually serious, or was she just mocking him?"

"W-what are you saying?" He stammered.

"I'm saying, you should put on one of your many pairs of tight jeans and bend over in front of him, and see if he gets a hard-on. Or, you know, something along those lines."

"SANTANA!"

"I rest my case about you being a prude."

"I-you-I can't believe you just-"

"Gotta go, Hummel. For your sake, I sincerely hope you get laid."

She hung up.

Kurt's face felt like it was on fire. _She can't be serious_, he thought to himself. Kurt didn't do seductive, or sexy. He didn't know _how _to do seductive or sexy.

He got up to stand in front of the full-length mirror in the corner of his room. He looked himself up and down carefully. He frowned, still not seeing the "hot" that Santana was talking about. He turned around slowly and looked down at his ass, which was currently clad in a pair of silk pyjama pants. He immediately felt stupid and ran back to his bed, collapsing onto it face-first and burying his face into the pillow, letting out a cry of frustration.

_Blaine is coming back tomorrow_, he thought to himself. _Sexy, sexy….I can do sexy. Come on Kurt, think sexy. _He got up off the bed with a determined look on his face. He could pull this off.

No, he couldn't.

Yes, he could.

He hurried to his wardrobe and shimmied into his tightest pair of black skinny jeans, before returning to the mirror.

He needed to practice.


	4. Chapter 4

**Road To Love: Chapter 4**

* * *

><p>When Blaine arrived at the garage at 7:30am on Sunday morning, he sat in his car for a moment, glancing around furtively for any signs of a van that may contain a team of wild sex-crazed cheerleaders. Once he was convinced that he was safe (for now), he got out of his car and headed to the entrance.<p>

He was surprised to find the garage empty, as Burt was usually already at work when he arrived, doing final checks on the cars before their owners arrived to pick them up. He figured that he would be there soon, however, and so he got to work inspecting one of the new arrivals.

About 20 minutes later, the door opened. Blaine turned around, relieved that Burt had arrived because he was still relatively new to the job and not very comfortable with the idea of working on the cars without specific instructions. However, when he looked towards the doorway, it wasn't Burt that was standing there, it was Kurt.

Blaine thought his jaw may have hit the floor. Kurt was clad in the tightest pair of black jeans he had ever seen and – _god – _nothing but a white tank top covering his upper body. The outfit was so different to what he had been wearing when Blaine first met him. It was simple, but it perfectly flaunted the shape of his incredible body, highlighting all his greatest assets. Blaine could see his surprisingly muscular arms, with a few thin veins running up the length. His broad shoulders narrowed to a slim, toned waist and, God, those _hips_. Blaine noticed that he could even see the peaks of his nipples through the thin fabric of the tank top. He struggled to suppress a moan.

Blaine stared at Kurt in awe as he entered the room and turned to lock the door behind him. Blaine's eyes flickered to his ass, and this time, a small whimper managed to escape his lips. He hoped Kurt didn't notice.

"Good morning," Kurt said as he turned to face Blaine, the words dripping from his lips seductively.

"'Morning!" Blaine responded far too enthusiastically, his voice breaking. He mentally berated himself. _Pull yourself together, Blaine, he's going to think you're mentally deficient. _He coughed. "So, umm, do you know where Burt is?"

"Still asleep," Kurt said with a shrug, offering no further explanation.

"Oh," he responded, unsure of what to say next. "So…are you here to help me, or…?"

Kurt chuckled lightly. "In these clothes? I'd ruin my favourite jeans."

Blaine nodded dumbly. That would be nothing short of a tragedy.

"I'm looking for a small white toolbox that my dad keeps around here somewhere," Kurt said, glancing around the room. "The radio in my Navigator keeps playing up and I need to fix it." He walked over to a set of low shelves by the wall, and bent right over to look at the very bottom shelf.

_Holy sweet hell, _Blaine thought to himself as he got a full view of Kurt's ass in those jeans. Kurt then looked over his shoulder directly at Blaine, still bending over, and smirked, fluttering his eyelashes. "You just going to stand there gawping, or are you going to help me look?"

Blaine felt his face heat up. He quickly scampered over to the shelves, and helped Kurt look for the toolbox.

After not having much luck on any of the lower shelves, Kurt picked up a slightly wobbly looking stool in the corner of the room so he could look at the contents of the higher shelves, and climbed onto it.

"That doesn't look very safe," Blaine remarked worriedly. "Don't you have a step-ladder or something?"

"It's in the shed and my dad has the key. If you're so worried, come and hold me steady."

Blaine went to stand behind Kurt, whose ass was now _directly _in front of his face. He gulped. He didn't know where to put his hands. Holding Kurt's legs would just be weird and unhelpful. His waist was too high up, and it would be awkward for Blaine to try and reach it. Hands shaking slightly, he reached out and took hold of Kurt's hips. His fingers were tingling. As Kurt reached upwards to move things around on the shelf, his tank top rode up slightly, and Blaine was now touching an inch or so of exposed skin above the waistband of Kurt's jeans.

"Aha! I found it!" Kurt shouted. "Put this on the table for me."

Blaine reluctantly let go of Kurt's hips as the toolbox was handed down to him. As he was placing it on the table a few feet behind them, he heard a shriek, and turned around quickly.

The stool Kurt was standing on was wobbling precariously, and Kurt looked like he was about to lose his balance at any second. Blaine rushed over just in time for Kurt to topple onto him, but he over-estimated his strength, and instead of gracefully swooping Kurt into his arms in a romantic and heroic fashion, he ended up sprawled on his back on the hard concrete with Kurt on top of him.

A million thoughts rushed through his mind in the space of about 10 seconds.

_Ouch, my head._

_Oh good, Kurt isn't hurt._

_Oh my god, Kurt is on top of me._

_His eyes are so beautiful. So is his skin. He's flawless._

_Oh my god, his lips are inches from mine._

_He smells amazing. Like vanilla and honey with a hint of rose._

_Holy fuck, our crotches are touching._

_No, shit, Blaine, stop, now is not the time to get hard._

_Think unsexy thoughts. Think unsexy thoughts. Grandma and grandpa having sex! Puppies being slaughtered!_

_There are only four layers separating our dicks right now._

_NO! CRAP! CRAP! Unsexy thoughts are not working._

_Oh fuck. Kurt is on top of me and I have a boner. Can he feel it? How could he NOT feel it? It's right there. _

_He's not getting off me, though. Why is he not getting off me?_

_Wait, what's that rubbing against my…holy shit, is he also…?_

Suddenly, a loud rattling filled the room as somebody tried to open the locked door to the garage, and Kurt and Blaine were on their feet in seconds.

Kurt rushed over to the door, grabbing the toolbox on the way and holding it awkwardly over his crotch. He unlocked the door and Burt entered the room, oblivious to the scene that had just taken place. Blaine quickly shuffled a few feet to his right to conceal the lower half of his body behind a grey Honda civic.

Burt looked at Kurt, frustration and confusion etched on his face. "Kid, what the hell are you wearing? Why do you have my toolbox? And have you been messing with my alarm clock? I always set it for 6am but today it was set to 8 for some reason."

"No!" Kurt squeaked. "I didn't touch the alarm clock. I'll just be going now. Bye!"

With that, he ran out of the room.

Burt turned to Blaine with a raised eyebrow. "It's been a very confusing morning," he stated.

Blaine sighed to himself. _You have no idea._

* * *

><p>Kurt hurried down the corridor at school, clinging to the strap of his shoulder-bag as it threatened to slip off. He was in a mad rush to find Santana and Rachel – he needed their advice, immediately.<p>

He spotted Rachel standing by her locker, and grabbed her arm. She squeaked in surprise as he dragged her into the girl's bathroom, quickly checking to make sure the stalls were empty.

"Kurt, what's wrong? You look _really _stressed out," she said, taking in his flushed cheeks and messy hair.

"I need your help!" He replied, pacing the bathroom and ringing his hands. "It's Blaine! I think he might actually be gay! And, like, into me! I mean, maybe, I don't know for sure. There was an incident in the garage…oh god, I need Santana's expertise right now. Do you know where she is? It was_ her_ ridiculous idea that got me into this, I don't know whether I want to kiss her or kill her, I am an emotional mess right now, I don't know what to do next, I feel stupid and confused and I just wish I knew what he was _thinking _- "

"- Kurt, Kurt, Kurt. Kurt. Calm down," Rachel interrupted, taking his face into her hands. "I'll tell Santana to come and sit with us at lunch, alright? We can discuss it then. You need to _relax_, okay? Breathe."

Kurt calmed down slightly, and smiled at her gratefully. "Thanks, Rachel. I think I may have just needed to vent a bit. I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

Rachel grinned broadly at him, and much to his surprise, pulled him into an enthusiastic hug.

"I can't wait!" She squealed. "I knew it, I just _knew _it, you guys are going to make such a cute couple, and it will be all thanks to me! I can now officially add matchmaking to my long list of talents."

Kurt rolled his eyes, and left the bathroom.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Kurt sat at a lunch table in the cafeteria, surrounded not only by Santana and Rachel, but all of the girls in New Directions. Apparently, once one of the girls in Glee club knew something gossip-worthy, they would all know about it within a day. And they were all <em>very <em>eager to hear about Kurt's mystery crush. Kurt didn't really mind telling the girls, because he trusted them. However, he made a point of swearing them to secrecy. He didn't want any of the boys knowing about Blaine, for fear that Finn would find out and blab to Burt. Much to Kurt's surprise, Rachel actually seemed to be quite good at keeping her mouth shut when it counted.

"So, Hummel, what's the big gay drama about? Did you do what I told you to?" Santana asked, her usual smirk plastered on her face.

"Yes," Kurt sighed. "I bent over in front of him and everything."

Mercedes choked on her chocolate milk. "Come again?"

Kurt blushed. "Santana told me to act sexy around him to see if he's gay," he mumbled, suddenly finding his salad incredibly interesting.

"Santana," Rachel said sternly, "wouldn't it have been more effective for Kurt to just ask Blaine about his sexuality rather than playing games? They only end in confusion, and as you can see, Kurt seems very distressed about this whole situation - "

" – Berry, why don't you put your ridiculously large mouth to better use, and eat your meatballs?" Santana interjected. "I believe we were listening to Kurt's story. Please continue, Kurt," she said, as Rachel gaped at her, looking highly affronted.

"Well," Kurt continued slowly, "I reset my dad's alarm clock so we would be alone in the garage. Then I came up with the lame ruse of looking for a toolbox so I would have an excuse to be there and look around on the shelves and stuff, and I stood on a stool to look at the top shelf. He was holding me in place, and I fell off the stool and landed on top of him, and then…"

Kurt mumbled something unintelligible.

"What was that, Kurt?" Quinn inquired, leaning over the table.

He mumbled again, a little louder this time.

"Huh?" Tina asked, moving around the table to get closer.

"I said we both got hard, okay?" Kurt hissed, a little louder than he'd intended. A few people at the tables around them looked over with raised eyebrows.

There was a beat of silence, and then Santana was flinging herself across the table, pulling Kurt into a hug.

"MY BABY! I AM SO PROUD! Come here, let me love you for a minute." Kurt froze in surprise, then attempted to squirm out of her grasp, but she seemed to have him in some sort of headlock.

She finally released him, smiling widely. "Kurt, this is awesome. This is exactly what I was hoping for. Nice touch with the 'accidental' fall off the stool. What happened next?"

Kurt sat at the table and looked around, wide-eyed and slightly horrified at how this situation was turning out.

The other girls were sniggering and smirking at him. Quinn was biting her lip, attempting to hold back a smile. Rachel had covered her face with her hands and her shoulders were shaking in silent laughter. Mercedes looked like Christmas had come early.

"Well…?" Tina prompted.

"I didn't fall off the stool on purpose, it really _was_ an accident. Anyway, when we were laying there, my dad showed up. Luckily I had locked the door so he didn't see anything. I think I may have set a new land speed record, I ran out of there so fast."

The girls let out sighs and groans of disappointment.

Santana was frowning in annoyance. "Well, Hummel, despite your cockblocking father, we have made excellent progress. Your little Blainers is definitely gay, and he clearly wants to tap that. And by 'that', I mean your ass. With his cock."

"SANTANA!" Kurt yelled, blushing furiously once again as the girls giggled.

"Kurt," Rachel said, "I think now is the time for you to tell him how you feel."

"For once, I agree with Berry," Santana said. Then she placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "Go forth, little homo. Do mama proud."

Kurt groaned and buried his face in his hands as giggles erupted again. But despite himself, he couldn't seem to hold back a smile.

Nobody had noticed David Karofsky sitting with his back to them at a nearby table, his letterman jacket bundled up on his lap. He had been listening intently to their conversation, and he snarled under his breath as he got to his feet and headed quickly for the door, careful not to be seen.

* * *

><p>When Blaine returned to Dalton on Monday, he immediately rounded up Wes, David, Nick and Jeff, and regaled with them with the detailed story of his encounter with Kurt Hummel on Sunday morning.<p>

On Monday, his friends had listened with rapt attention to his vivid descriptions of the events that had unfolded. They had asked questions at the right times, made appropriate "awwww's", and teased Blaine mercilessly about his inability to control his penis, to which Blaine had glared at Wes and reminded him of a certain unfortunate incident that had occurred in Miss Cartwright's office, which resulted in Wes hitting Blaine over the head with a binder and yelling "YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN'T TELL! YOU PINKY SWORE, YOU TRAITOR!" While the other boys roared with laughter.

By Friday, the boys' patience was running low. Blaine was seated in the courtyard with Nick and Jeff, and was in the middle of attempting to describe the colour of Kurt's eyes (for the seventh time) while sighing dreamily, when David showed up. When he realised what Blaine was talking about, he snapped.

"OH MY GOD, BLAINE, SHUT UP!"

Blaine jumped, and looked up at David in shock. "David? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry Blaine, I get that you're like a love-sick puppy right now, but if I have to listen to another description of Kurt's amazing eyes or his amazing scent or his amazing hair or whatever, I think I might either kill myself, or fuck this guy on your behalf."

Blaine gawped at David in shock, unsure of whether or not he should be offended.

"You need to _tell him_, Blaine. Just tell him how you feel."

"I agree with David on this one," Nick interjected. "You said yourself that you're 99.9% sure that he's gay."

"Yeah, and I mean, he got a boner on top of you. If his dad hadn't showed up at the most inopportune moment, something else would have happened," said David. "I don't see what you're waiting for."

Blaine stared intently at the cup of coffee in his hand, processing his friend's words. They had some good points. Kurt was almost definitely gay, and there were signs to suggest that he was at least attracted to Blaine, although Blaine was sure that there was no way Kurt could feel as strongly about him as he felt about Kurt. If he told Kurt that he wanted to be with him, and he didn't return the sentiment, it could make working with him very awkward. If, by some miracle, he_ did_ feel the same way and they started some sort of relationship, they would have to lie to Burt, and Blaine would run the risk of getting fired. Or worse, Blaine's father could find out about their relationship, and then all hell would break loose. Was it worth it? Blaine realised with a start that he was willing to risk it all, if it meant that he could be with Kurt.

He looked up at his friends, face hardening with determination. "You're right," he said. "I'll tell him tomorrow."

Cheers erupted around him, and his friends hugged him and patted him on the back, making him swear to call them and tell them everything as soon as he got off work the next day.

* * *

><p>On Saturday morning, Kurt sat on the porch outside his house, waiting for Blaine's car to pull up and park on the street. Burt was already at work in the garage, and Kurt knew that his only chance to talk to Blaine would be as soon as he arrived.<p>

Kurt was twisting his fingers together and tapping his foot anxiously when Blaine finally arrived. He quickly jumped to his feet and walked briskly towards the car as Blaine got out.

Blaine looked up, surprised to see Kurt walking towards him. He took a few tentative steps towards the boy, his heart fluttering in his chest.

_It's now or never_ he thought as Kurt came to a stop in front of him.

"Kurt, I…I have something I need to tell you. I'm sorry if this totally freaks you out, but I…I really like you. I think you're amazing-"

Blaine was cut off when Kurt lifted a finger and delicately pressed it to Blaine's lips, signalling him to stop talking. Blaine stared into Kurt's eyes, his lips tingling. There was a moment of silence, where they both just stood there and stared at each other. Blaine could hear the sound of Kurt's breathing, and he was sure that his heart was beating loud enough for the other boy to hear.

Blaine's not sure how long they stood there. Realistically, he knew it couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but the moment seemed to stretch on forever.

Time tended to do funny things when he was around Kurt.

Finally, Kurt slowly moved his finger away from Blaine's lips, and began to lean in.

Blaine's heart stopped beating as Kurt's lips met his in a soft kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you so much to everybody who has read/reviewed/favourited etc.!**

**I really hope you guys are happy with this chapter. I'm still not sure how I feel about it.**

**Reviews are love!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Road To Love: Chapter 5**

* * *

><p>As Kurt nervously leaned in to kiss Blaine, his heart was pounding in his chest. He was hoping that he would get to experience the 'fireworks' that people always talked about. However, he found that 'fireworks' didn't even <em>begin<em> to describe what he felt when his lips met Blaine's.

His stomach lurched, his heart soared, and he was surprised that his knees didn't give out beneath him. Overwhelmed, he wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and tangled his fingers in his hair, and Blaine twined an arm around Kurt's waist to pull him closer.

_I wish I could do this forever, _Kurt thought.

_This is perfect._

_Nothing in the world could be better than this._

Kurt surrendered completely to Blaine's embrace, melting into his arms and parting his lips to allow Blaine's tongue entry to his mouth.

It was as though the whole world had disappeared. Kurt was aware of nothing but Blaine's lips on his - the sweet taste of them, like coffee and chocolate and something that was just _Blaine_. Kurt moaned softly at the soft wetness of Blaine's tongue as it ran across the inside of his bottom lip, and he opened his mouth wider. He was running out of breath so he pulled back for just a second, but it didn't do much good because as he gasped for air Blaine lunged forward again and enveloped Kurt's open mouth with his own, and really, who needs oxygen anyway?

Suddenly, a passing car honked its horn, loudly. Kurt and Blaine pulled apart in shock. In their perfect moment, they had forgotten that they were standing on the sidewalk, in plain view of Kurt's street and all of the surrounding houses. The people inside the car whistled and shouted jeers and catcalls out of the open window as they drove past.

_Well_, Kurt thought, _at least they didn't throw any hard objects at us._

As soon as the car was out of sight, Kurt looked back at Blaine, whose arms were still wrapped around Kurt's waist. Their faces were still just inches apart. Blaine's pupils were blown so wide that Kurt could barely see the golden hazel of his eyes. His lips were red and swollen and wet, and before Kurt could think about what to do next, Blaine swooped in to kiss him again.

The kiss was shorter than the last, but still left Kurt breathless. After a few seconds, Blaine pulled back very slightly.

"I'm late for work," he mumbled against Kurt's lips.

"Mmph," Kurt protested softly, turning his head to the side to nuzzle Blaine's neck. "You have to go _now?_"

Blaine chuckled quietly. "I wish I could stay," he whispered, his voice trembling slightly. He grabbed Kurt's face gently in his hands, and looked into his eyes. "Will you meet me after I get off work? I know it will be kind of late, but maybe we could go and get coffee, or something?"

Kurt paused for a moment. "Actually," he mumbled, breath ghosting across Blaine's ear, "I would rather you just snuck into my room. It's the third window on the right, above the rose bushes."

Blaine leaned back to look at Kurt, his eyes wide with surprise, and swallowed audibly.

_Shit,_ Kurt thought, mentally berating himself for being so forward. "No, no, I didn't mean…not to, like, do anything," he clarified quickly. "I just want to be alone with you, somewhere private. I think we need to talk."

Blaine nodded. "You're right," he said. "I won't get caught though, will I?"

Kurt shook his head. "No, I have a lock on my door, and my dad doesn't tend to bother me in the evenings. Anyway, you could always hide in my giant walk-in closet if he knocked." He winked at Blaine.

"Ok," Blaine responded after barely a moment's hesitation. He smiled widely. "I guess I'll see you tonight, then." He squeezed Kurt's body gently before reluctantly un-wrapping his arms from Kurt's waist and turning to walk in the direction of the garage.

Kurt bit his lip as Blaine began to walk away. _Oh, what the heck,_ he thought to himself, and acting on impulse, he ran up to Blaine, grabbed his arm and spun him around. Then their lips were together again, and the kiss was heated, all tongues and teeth and wanting, and then Kurt was pulling back once again, breathing heavily, cheeks flushed and eyes dark. "I can't wait," he whispered, and Blaine stood frozen on the sidewalk, staring dumbly at Kurt's retreating back as he walked quickly back up the path to his front door and into his house.

Once inside, Kurt ran to his room, slamming the door behind him and throwing himself onto his bed. He grabbed his pillow and held it to his face to muffle the noise as he squealed loudly. His heart felt like it was beating at a thousand times its normal rate.

He couldn't believe it.

He had kissed Blaine.

He was going to see Blaine again tonight.

He looked over at his bedside clock, which read 7:40 a.m. He groaned loudly, burying his face into the pillow again.

Only 8 hours and 20 minutes to go.

He wasn't sure if he could make it that long.

* * *

><p>As predicted, the waiting was torture for both Kurt and Blaine.<p>

Kurt was spending his time desperately trying to distract himself from thoughts of Blaine. He decided to send a mass text to all of the girls from New Directions, since he had nothing better to do and they were no doubt eagerly awaiting news about Blaine.

**From: Kurt**

**To: Santana, Rachel, Mercedes, Brittany, Tina, Quinn**

_ Blaine and I kissed this morning, more than once. It was amazing. I am meeting him after he gets off work today._

Kurt only had to wait about a minute after pressing 'send' before his phone vibrated furiously with replies.

**To: Kurt**

**From: Santana**

_ Hummel, you never fail to surprise me. You have bigger balls than I thought. How you manage to stuff those massive things into your ridiculously tight jeans every day shall forever remain a mystery. Good luck for tonight. Let me know all the dirty details afterwards. Proud of u. - Santana _

Much to Kurt's surprise, Kurt felt his eyes prickle slightly. He was beginning to feel a deep fondness for Santana. He made a mental note to thank her later, and buy her a voucher for Breadstix.

**To: Kurt**

**From: Rachel**

_ EEEP! Omg! Kurt that is so great. It's okay, you don't have to thank me, I'm just glad that you two found each other. If you guys ever decide to have babies one day, I will be happy to be your surrogate. xox Rachel _

Kurt rolled his eyes, but smiled. Rachel could be a little clueless and self-centred at times, but he loved her. She really was a good friend and a caring person. He had a feeling they would be getting a lot closer this year.

He moved on to the rest of the texts.

**To: Kurt**

**From: Mercedes**

_ Get it, white boy! Call me immediately after or I'll have to come over. I still haven't seen this guy. You have to introduce him. Does he have any hot brothers? ;) _

**To: Kurt**

**From: Brittany**

_ Yay! I love dolphin kisses! Blaine is lucky. You are a good kisser and you taste really yummy. _

**To: Kurt**

**From: Tina**

_ That's amazing Kurt, congratulations! You deserve all the happiness in the world. Best of luck for tonight, I can't wait to hear all about it =) Much love, Tina xox _

**To: Kurt**

**From: Quinn**

_ That's great, Kurt. I'm really happy for you. My only word of advice would be not to rush things. But I'm sure you are perfectly capable of making smart decisions. I hope tonight goes well for_ you._ – Quinn_

Kurt grinned down at his phone. He really did love all of his friends. They were all very different, but somehow, their group just fit together like puzzle pieces. If any of them were to leave Glee club, Kurt didn't know what he would do. The puzzle just wouldn't be complete anymore.

Too lazy and pre-occupied to reply to all of the texts, Kurt discarded his phone on his bed and went downstairs to bake cookies. Baking always had a way of taking his mind off things when he felt distracted or stressed. And maybe later, he could take some cookies out to Blaine and his dad, he thought with a smile.

* * *

><p>Blaine had been consumed with thoughts of Kurt the whole day. He tried to focus on the tasks that Burt gave him, but his attention span lasted about 30 seconds before his thoughts drifted back to Kurt's lips, Kurt's tongue, Kurt's taste and smell and feel and the small breathless whimper he had made when Blaine had tilted his head slightly to fit their mouths even more perfectly together. And then realisation would hit that <em>Kurt had actually kissed him<em>, and Blaine would have to physically struggle not to squeal and do a happy dance in the middle of the garage.

It was a miracle that he had managed to not damage any of the cars.

He glanced down at his watch to see that it read 11:06am. He sighed. It had felt like _days _had passed since that morning. He just wanted to see Kurt again.

Just then, the door opened. Blaine's head snapped up as Kurt entered the garage, holding a tray of cookies.

"Are those cookies?" Burt asked eagerly, striding across the garage quickly to grab one from the tray. Kurt nodded.

"You got a test coming up or somethin'? You always bake when you're stressed," he said with a mouthful of cookie.

Kurt wrinkled his nose. "Dad, gross. Don't talk with your mouth full. And no, I don't have a test. I just felt like baking, I guess."

He looked up at Blaine, and when their eyes met, Blaine felt his stomach do a weird jumpy-somersault thing. He decided that he had better get used to this happening when he was around Kurt.

"Would you like a cookie, Blaine?" Kurt asked, with a kind of intensity that one does not normally encounter when being offered cookies. Luckily, Burt seemed oblivious to Kurt's tone as he practically inhaled the cookies.

"Yes, please," Blaine said quietly, and he began to walk towards Kurt, eyes never leaving his face.

He was so distracted by Kurt's presence that he didn't see the greasy rag lying at his feet. He did, however, feel his foot fly out from underneath him. He flailed his arms helplessly, but his attempts to regain his balance were unsuccessful as he toppled forwards, smacking his face onto the rear-view mirror of a large red convertible before landing in a crumpled heap on the floor.

Kurt was at his side in seconds.

"Oh my god, Blaine, are you alright?"

"Jeez, kid, are you hurt?"

"Mmmph," Blaine grunted from the floor, face heating with embarrassment at his highly undignified fall. "Ahhh…I'm okay…my face hurts a little…nothing serious, I'm fine."

"Blaine, let me see," Kurt said sternly. Blaine sat up, and Kurt grabbed his chin in his hands, tilting his face from side to side to assess the damage.

"That's going to bruise," Burt said. "Best get some ice on it."

"I'll help," Kurt said, grabbing Blaine under the elbow and pulling him to his feet.

"Thanks, kiddo," Burt said. "You take your time, Blaine. Make sure you let me know if you feel dizzy at all, or if your head starts hurtin', okay?"

Blaine mumbled his thanks to Burt as Kurt dragged him from the garage.

* * *

><p>Carole was in the kitchen making a cup of tea when Kurt burst in, pulling a dark-haired boy in blue coveralls behind him. Carole figured that it must be the new boy that Burt had hired to help out in the garage.<p>

Kurt looked up and noticed her standing by the counter. He regarded her with a slight frown on his face, seeming almost annoyed at her presence.

"Hi," she said, slightly confused by the scene in front of her.

"Blaine fell and hurt his face, I was just going to help him put some ice on it," Kurt said.

"Oh, okay. It's nice to meet you, Blaine. I'm Carole. " She reached out her hand and Blaine shook it, smiling politely at her.

Kurt pushed Blaine towards the dining table and went over to the fridge to grab a bag of frozen peas. He then sat down opposite Blaine and held the bag to his face.

One thing about Carole was that she had always been very observant, and she had a way of noticing things about people that others may initially miss. When she had met Burt, she had immediately been able to see what an amazing man he was. He looked at Kurt with nothing but love and pride, and he had the most honest eyes that Carole had ever seen. It hadn't taken her very long at all to fall in love with Burt Hummel. When she married him, she was thrilled that she gained not only a husband, but also a son. Kurt was one of the bravest, most kind-hearted people she had ever met. As different as they may seem at first glance, Kurt took after his father in many respects.

As Carole leaned against the kitchen counter and surveyed the scene in front of her, she didn't miss the way that Kurt's hand lingered on Blaine's cheek, the tips of his fingers brushing through his curls slightly. She also didn't miss the way that Blaine was looking at Kurt, eyes wide and with his mouth hanging slightly open, taking in Kurt's face as if he were the most beautiful thing Blaine had ever seen.

She watched the boys' silent interactions for a few minutes with a small smile on her face before they both got up and Blaine headed back out to the garage. As Kurt walked past her to put the bag of peas back into the freezer, she leaned down to place a kiss to the top of his head. Kurt looked up at her with a slightly confused but nonetheless pleased expression on his face, before smiling her and offering her a freshly baked cookie.

As Carole munched on her cookie, she watched Kurt fondly as he cleaned up in the kitchen, a wide smile on his face, and his eyes sparkling in a way that she hadn't seen for quite some time. She felt herself tearing up, and turned away to wipe her eyes subtly. If there was something going on between Kurt and Blaine – and from what she had seen, it certainly seemed like there was – she really hoped that everything worked out for them. She knew how much of a hopeless romantic Kurt was, but it wasn't easy to grow up gay in Lima. Kurt had complained to her several times about being the only out gay kid at McKinley, and how he just wanted to be able to hold hands with the person that he loved. He deserved that. He _needed _that. The idea that he might find that made Carole's heart swell in her chest.

She decided not to mention anything to Burt – as sure as she was that something was going on between Kurt and Blaine, "lingering fingers" and "adoring gazes" weren't exactly concrete evidence. Besides, she knew that Kurt would want to do things at his own pace, and tell Burt himself when he was ready. She just hoped that he wasn't scared of what Burt's reaction would be. She knew that all Burt really wanted was for his son to be truly happy, and if Blaine was the cause of that happiness, Burt would love him too.

* * *

><p>When Blaine finally got off work that afternoon, he shouted a hurried goodbye to Burt as he practically sprinted to his car. He caught a glimpse of his face in the rear-view mirror and winced. He had a black eye and looked like he'd been in a fist-fight, but at least the ice had prevented any swelling.<p>

He drove his car down the street before parking it, out of sight of the Hummel's house. Once he had hurried back to the house, he crept cautiously up to the window that Kurt had identified as his bedroom that morning. The curtains were drawn, but Blaine could see that the lights were on inside. He realised that his heart was racing, his palms were sweaty, and he felt vaguely nauseous – all signs that he was nervous. He took a deep breath and knocked lightly on the window.

After a few seconds, the curtains opened, and Kurt's face appeared. His eyes were shining with excitement, and Blaine smiled nervously and waved at him through the glass. Kurt quickly slid open the window from the inside and stepped back so Blaine could climb in.

Once he had clambered in through the window, Blaine took a deep breath at the realisation that he was standing in Kurt Hummel's bedroom. He glanced around quickly, taking in the beautiful furniture and matching warm tones. The room was absolutely pristine, not a speck of dirt or clutter in sight. At first glance, it looked like something straight out of an Interior Design magazine. However, Blaine was able to notice certain features of the room that it made it clear who it belonged to. A large 'Wicked' poster hung on the bedroom door, and there was a framed picture of Lady Gaga hanging on the wall. The vanity was covered with an assortment of expensive-looking facial products. Above Kurt's desk was a cork-board with photographs pinned up. Blaine noticed pictures of Burt and Kurt, Carole, and some older-looking pictures of a beautiful woman that he didn't recognise. There were also numerous pictures of several teenagers that he figured must be Kurt's friends.

Blaine turned his attention back to Kurt, who was looking at him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, the expression on his face somewhat difficult to decipher. If Blaine didn't know any better, he'd say it was a mixture of desire and apprehension – similar to what he was currently experiencing himself. He took a tentative step forward, and so did Kurt, and then all traces of hesitation disappeared as they rushed to close the short distance between them.

Blaine didn't know who kissed who this time, but he knew that they were both kissing each other with the same level of what could only be described as an insatiable hunger for closeness. Blaine ran his hands through Kurt's hair, and Kurt let out a soft breathless whimper, which Blaine swallowed up with a moan. Kurt pulled back slightly, and Blaine was aware that they were both panting. It was easy to forget to breathe when he was kissing Kurt.

"We need to talk," Kurt whispered, ghosting his lips across Blaine's jaw.

"Yeah," Blaine breathed, placing a kiss to Kurt's cheek, then another just below his ear, then another on his neck. Kurt whimpered softly. Blaine decided that he never wanted to stop causing Kurt to make those delightful sounds.

"Blaine, really. No kissing for five minutes. We need to talk about this."

Blaine pulled back reluctantly, and Kurt walked over to his bed, sitting cross-legged and patting the space next to him. Blaine gulped, and sat down.

"So…what does this mean? For you? " Kurt asked, his voice still breathless.

"I…" Blaine stammered, not quite sure what Kurt wanted to hear. He decided that in this situation, honesty was probably the best policy. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"I _like _you, Kurt. I like you a lot. I like you more than I thought it was possible to like someone after only having known them a few short weeks. Like, from the moment I saw you, I thought you were just…the most beautiful person I had ever laid eyes on. And you're so _interesting,_ and I just want to know everything about you. I feel like…like we were meant to find each other, or something." He blushed suddenly and looked down at his lap, realising just how ridiculous that sounded. "Th-that is, I mean, I just feel like we…have a connection. I know that sounds cheesy, but I want to see what it means. I want to see where it takes us. The thing is, Kurt, I've never had a boyfriend before, and I'm not very good at romance. But I would really like to try it, with you…if you'd let me. I know that you probably don't feel the same way about me but if you would just give me a chance that would be more than I could ever ask for, and now I'm babbling like an idiot, oh my god. I'm so sorry."

He looked up at Kurt nervously, half-expecting him to be halfway out the door, terrified by Blaine's admission of feelings. But he was still sitting on the bed, staring at Blaine with wide eyes, his expression unreadable. Blaine looked down at Kurt's bedspread, too scared to maintain eye contact.

"You're an idiot." Kurt said after a pause that seemed to stretch on forever. Blaine immediately felt his face heat up in shame. But then Kurt continued. "You're an idiot, if you think that you're bad at romance after that speech." Blaine looked up in surprise, shocked to see that Kurt's eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"Bu…but, what…?"

"Blaine, that was the most amazing thing anyone's ever said to me," Kurt said, his voice choked up from the lump in his throat. "You big, huge, giant idiot, oh my god. Of course I'll let you be my boyfriend. _Of course _I feel the same way about you."

Blaine just stared at Kurt for a few seconds before his words registered. He felt his heart swell in his chest, and his face broke into a grin so huge that he thought his cheeks might break. He threw himself at Kurt, who let out a delighted squeal, and pulled him into an enthusiastic hug, holding his body as close as physically possible. Then he leaned back so he could look Kurt in the eye, and Kurt reached his hand up to wipe away a tear from Blaine's cheek, and Blaine hadn't even been aware that he'd been crying, but apparently he had.

"Are you sure about this?" Blaine asked, smirking at Kurt playfully. "You do realise that you just agreed to be in a relationship with a 'big, huge, giant idiot'."

Kurt giggled and grabbed Blaine's hand, linking their fingers together. "I'm pretty sure. You might be an idiot, but you're the most adorable idiot I've ever seen."

Blaine chucked. "Has it been five minutes yet?"

"Yes," Kurt responded, grinning cheekily.

"Have we talked about everything we needed to talk about?"

"For now."

"Can I kiss you now?"

"Please do."

So he did.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ****Omg, was that chapter fluffy enough for you guys? I think I may have given myself cavities from writing it due to all the sweetness. **

**This chapter was quite a struggle for me, it sort of took on a life of its own once I started writing instead of sticking to the plans I had formulated :P **

**Thanks to everyone who read/reviewed/favourited the last chapter! 50+ reviews, wow. I never expected to get that many. *Hugs all of you***

**xox**


	6. Chapter 6

**Road To Love: Chapter 6**

* * *

><p>Blaine stayed in Kurt's room for over an hour, although it felt like no more than ten minutes.<p>

They spent the time completely wrapped up in each other, kissing and cuddling and whispering sweet, simple words into each other's ears.

It was heaven.

Blaine was shocked when he looked up at Kurt's bedside clock and saw how much time had passed. He was going to be late for dinner.

He said a hurried goodbye to Kurt, kissing him once more and allowing his lips to linger, before reluctantly pulling away and clambering out of the window, sprinting down the street to his car.

He wasn't running because he was late, but because he felt like he had so much energy. Being with Kurt, kissing him, hearing all those beautiful words and sounds come out of his mouth, gave Blaine a sort of adrenaline rush. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. His body was buzzing with energy and excitement and he just wanted to run and dance and skip and jump all night long, preferably with Kurt by his side.

Once in the car, he drove on autopilot, his thoughts back in Kurt's bedroom. He had a giddy smile on his face the entire drive.

Upon arriving at his house, he was surprised to see his dad's car parked in the driveway, as his dad usually didn't get home for another half an hour.

As soon as he entered the house and closed the door behind him, his dad came charging down the hallway at him, face livid.

"Where the HELL have you been, boy? Your shift finishes at 4:30, it is now after 7! I called you 3 times and you didn't answer your phone!"

Blaine backed into the shadows of the doorway, eyes wide and fearful. He hadn't seen his dad this angry since the day he'd come out.

"I was driving, dad…it was a busy day, Burt asked me to work overtime…" he hoped his dad wouldn't be able to tell that he was lying.

"And you didn't think to CALL? I was…what the hell happened to your face?"

Blaine had forgotten about his black eye, and his dad was now close enough to see it. Before he could respond, his dad stepped forward and grabbed his face roughly, turning it to the side to inspect the damage.

"Did somebody mess with you? Did somebody hurt you, Blaine?" His father's voice was soft now, but dangerously so. Blaine had preferred it when he had been yelling.

"N-no…"

"Blaine Anderson, if somebody hurt you, you had better FUCKING tell me -"

"EDWARD! Language!" Blaine's mom entered the room. Blaine breathed a sigh of relief at her presence.

"Amy, please, LOOK at his face!"

"Maybe if you let him get a word in edgeways, he would be able to tell us what happened!"

Both parents turned to him, his mother's eyes wide and expectant, his father's narrow and glaring. "Well?" He growled.

"I fell!" Blaine explained quickly. "I slipped on a rag, and I hit my face on a rear-view mirror of one of the cars. Really, dad, nobody hurt me. I swear."

Blaine's legs were trembling, and his voice sounded weak. His father didn't get angry very often, but on the few occasions that he had, Blaine had been terrified. It wasn't that he was afraid of being physically harmed, it was just the fact that when his dad got angry, he got _very _angry. The level of raw emotion that he exuded during his outbursts was very different to his usual stony expression which tended to stay in place regardless of the situation. Blaine's mother was the only one who seemed able to calm his father down when it got to this point.

"Blaine, honey, I think you should go to your room," his mom said, and Blaine willingly took off up the stairs, his heart still racing from the unexpected confrontation. He could hear his mom speaking quietly and soothingly to his dad, and as easy as it would be to eavesdrop, he decided to give them some privacy. He headed to his room and shut the door behind him.

After lying on his bed for about 10 minutes and listening to Katy Perry on his iPod, Blaine was feeling significantly calmer, but increasingly confused. He wasn't sure why his dad had been so upset. He had never really been over-protective of Blaine before. Blaine had never had to fight to get his permission to stay out late with any of his Dalton friends, so why the sudden concern?

He sighed in resignation. He would just have to accept the fact that he would never understand how his father's mind worked.

He jumped slightly when his cellphone vibrated in his pocket. The text was from an unknown number.

_I miss you._

Blaine's eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly text back.

**Kurt? Is that you?**

_No, it's your other boyfriend ;)_

His face split into a wide grin as he saved the contact into his phone.

**xD How did you get my number? :):):)**

_I may or may not have looked through your CV in my dad's desk. Dalton Academy, hmm? Fancy ;) _

**Stalker ;) lol 'fancy' says the guy who only wears designer clothes. By the way, I miss you too :)**

His mom's voice drifted up the stairs, calling him to eat his dinner before it got cold.

**Have to go to get dinner. Can't wait to see you again tomorrow. Goodnight beautiful, sweet dreams xox**

Blaine blushed as he sent the text, wondering if the 'beautiful' was a bit too much. Was he allowed to say things like that now that they were officially boyfriends? Was it too soon? But then he received a short and simple response that warmed his heart and he decided that, yes, it was definitely alright for him to say that.

_Goodnight Blaine. I'll be dreaming of you. xoxox_

* * *

><p>The next morning, Blaine woke up without the help of his alarm clock. Blinking sleepily, he jolted awake when he realised how light his room was, and glancing at his bedside clock he saw that it read 9:30am.<p>

"SHIT!" He yelled, bolting out of bed and running down the stairs two at a time. His mom was in the living room watching TV and eating a bowl of cereal.

"MOM! It's 9:30! Why didn't you wake me? I was supposed to be at work two hours ago!"

His mom looked up and smiled at him. "It's okay Blaine, I called Burt last night and he said you could have the day off today since you've been so helpful recently."

Blaine glared, frustrated beyond belief. He had been looking forward to seeing Kurt again. He hadn't been able to get to sleep until 3am because of the anticipation.

"Mom, why would you call him? I wanted to go to work. I like it. And I need the money!"

Her face fell at his angry tone. "But Blaine, I thought you'd appreciate a nice sleep in after yesterday…I could hear you tossing and turning in your room really late last night. I know you were upset by what your father said. I wanted a chance to talk to you about that. And, also…I miss you, Blainers. You board at Dalton during the week. You work Saturdays and Sundays. I only ever get to see you in the evenings on the weekend, and during the holidays. I thought we could spend the day together, maybe go down to that lake I always used to take you to when you were little, and we could have a picnic and feed the ducks and just hang out. I'm sorry I didn't ask you first but I just…really miss you."

Blaine felt instantly guilty. He could tell his mom was trying to hold back tears. He missed her too, of course he did. She was one of his best friends. He was being selfish – Kurt wasn't going anywhere.

"I miss you too, mom," he said, smiling. "And I'd love to go to the lake."

Her face lit up, and he walked over to her, leaning down to pull her into a quick hug before heading to the kitchen to put together a picnic basket.

* * *

><p>2 hours later and Blaine and his mom were at the beautiful, quiet lake that Blaine had always loved. It was so tranquil and lovely, and because it was a 20 minute walk from the road to get to it, many people didn't know of its location so it was almost always isolated. In summer, Blaine would swim in the clear, fresh water, but it was a little too chilly for that at the moment.<p>

Blaine had checked his phone in the car to tell Kurt that he wouldn't be at work, but apparently Burt had already informed Kurt of this and called upon him to fill in. Kurt was disappointed that he wouldn't get to see him, but understood, and wished him a lovely day, making him promise to call him in the evening. Blaine became even more convinced that his boyfriend was flawless, and then proceeded to grin like an idiot at the memory of, _oh yeah, Kurt is my boyfriend. That actually happened._

"So, Blaine," his mom said, as they sat down on the picnic mat and dug into their sandwiches, "How's life treating you at Dalton?"

"Good," he replied. "Classes are challenging but not impossible. My friends are awesome. The Warblers are as ready for sectionals as they'll ever be. The only downside is being so far away from home and hardly ever getting to see you."

She nodded solemnly in agreement. "Yeah, that part sucks. I wish we could find somewhere for you to go to school that's closer to Lima, so you wouldn't have to board. But Dalton is the best, for…you know…the bullying."

He nodded stiffly. His mom, sensing his discomfort, quickly changed the subject.

"So…any boys you got your eye on?"

He choked on his sandwich and blushed furiously.

She smirked at him. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

"Umm…yeah, there might be…someone."

"Well, come on, spill! You can tell me these things, Blaine. I promise I won't tell your father, unless the boy is a gang member or something."

He smiled at her. To be perfectly honest, he had been dying to tell her about Kurt from the moment he laid eyes on him, but he just hadn't really found the right moment to bring it up.

"No, mom, he's definitely not a gang member. But...okay, the reason I was kind of upset today when you told me that you arranged for me to have a day off…it wasn't because I didn't want to spend time with you. It's that I was actually going to see him today."

Her face broke into a huge grin. "Oh my god, that's why you were late home yesterday, isn't it? You were with this boy! Are you two actually dating? What's his name? Does he go to Dalton, too? Does he live near the garage?"

He laughed at his mom's excitement. "Yes, that's why I was late last night. Yes, we are actually dating. His name is Kurt. He doesn't go to Dalton, unfortunately. And he lives right next to the garage – he's actually Burt Hummel's son."

"Burt Hummel…as in YOUR BOSS Burt Hummel?"

"That's the one."

"Oh my god, Blaine!" His mom was staring at him with an incredulous expression on her face. "Does Burt know that you two are an item?"

"No, and I plan on keeping it that way. I don't want to risk getting fired and not having the chance to see Kurt anymore."

"Doesn't he know that Kurt's gay?"

"I'm pretty sure he knows, and he seems fine with it, but it's a different matter when your employee stars dating your son, y'know? I can't be sure that he'll be okay with it."

"Are you sure about this? I'm really happy for you Blaine, but I'd rather you weren't sneaking around behind your boss's back. There's way less chance of you getting fired if you just tell him straight up, rather than him finding out that you lied to him."

"It's not just that, mom…I'm also worried that if Burt finds out it might get back to dad somehow. Dad can't know about Kurt and I. You know he'd make me quit and he'd try to keep us apart and I just really don't want to have to fight him on this right now. I'm really happy, mom. I just want to enjoy it without having to worry about him ruining everything."

She let out a long, sad sigh, before slinging her arm around him and resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about this, Blainers," she whispered. "You shouldn't have to fight him."

"I don't get it, mom!" He cried, suddenly frustrated. "Why do you always act like you're on my side, but then when I get angry at dad, you defend him?"

"I'm not on anyone's side, Blaine," she said, her voice sounding torn and broken. "I love you both. I've been with your father since I was seventeen years old. We've been through everything together and I know him better than anyone else. He's not a bad person, Blaine. He loves you _so much_, more than I think you realise. Just give him time to wrap his head around this. He'll come around, I know he will."

"It's been three years since I came out, mom. Three years of having to deal with him distancing himself from me and trying to change me. How much longer could he possibly need?"

"I don't know, Blaine. Just show him that you'll be okay. That's all you can do for now."

Blaine wasn't really sure how he was meant to do that.

His mom squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Anyway, enough of your father for now," she said, her tone perking up. "Tell me more about this Kurt. Is he a tough mechanic-type that likes classic rock and beer?"

Blaine laughed loudly. "Not exactly," he chuckled, and proceeded to tell his mom all about the magnificent boy that was Kurt Hummel, sparing absolutely no details. Except perhaps the way Kurt's ass looked in his skinny jeans.

* * *

><p>Kurt strolled out of French class on Wednesday afternoon in a Blaine-induced daze. Ever since Saturday night, he had been unable to stop thinking about Blaine. Actually, he had been having this problem way before Saturday night, but it had gotten far worse ever since he had actually experienced what it was like to kiss Blaine, to have Blaine's body pressed up against his, to know that Blaine returned his feelings.<p>

When Blaine had told Kurt how much he liked him, he had felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest. And then Blaine had said such _wonderful _things – that he thought Kurt was beautiful, and interesting, and special, and he wanted to be his boyfriend. Kurt had needed to pinch his arm to ensure himself that he wasn't dreaming, because it seemed way too good to be true.

On Sunday night, Blaine had called him and apologised profusely for not being able to come in to work and see him. Kurt had reassured him that it was fine, and asked him how his day with his mom had been. Surprisingly, Blaine had brought up Kurt's dad, inquiring as to how Kurt felt about keeping their relationship a secret for the time being.

He had ensured Blaine that Burt would be okay with their relationship, if they decided to tell him. But Blaine had seemed very keen to keep things under wraps. When Kurt pressed as to why, Blaine had brushed it off, just saying that he "didn't want Burt to know just yet, that's all".

The whole conversation had sparked a little worry for Kurt. He wondered if maybe Blaine was yet to come out to his family and friends. He didn't very much like the idea of being someone's dirty little secret.

He brushed the unpleasant thought off for the meantime, preferring to focus on the positives until he got a chance to talk to Blaine again. He smiled when he thought about the texts they had been exchanging at every given opportunity. They were all cute, light-hearted and flirtatious, and Kurt's face lit up every time he received one, prompting the Glee girls to grin at him knowingly. The unobservant males of the group were still totally oblivious.

As he rounded the corner, heading in the direction of the Choir room for Glee practice, a strong force suddenly slammed into his side, sending him crashing into a row of lockers before falling to the hard floor. He looked up in shock to see Karofsky leering down at him, and before walking off he let out a threatening sound that could be only be described as a _snarl. _Kurt shuddered, his shoulders throbbing where they had collided with the lockers as he clambered to his feet. That attack had been significantly more forceful than what he was used to. He figured that Karofsky must just be in a particularly bad mood.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later and Kurt was in the choir room with the rest of New Directions. Mr Schuester had just announced the Glee club's competition for sectionals. They were up against two other clubs. One was called The Hipsters, a group composed entirely of senior citizens. They didn't sound at all threatening. The other club was the Dalton Academy Warblers. Kurt had grinned, recognising the name of Blaine's school. Mr Schuester then gave out the assignment for the week, which included splitting the students up into boys and girls teams and having them perform a song usually sung by the opposite sex. Kurt had been excited at first, as singing girl's songs was what he did best. However, he found that the rest of the boys weren't quite so keen to follow his suggestions of singing a Diana Ross song while wearing feather boas. It would have been fabulous, but the boys were far too set in their ways to try something completely new and outrageous. Plus, Artie seemed to think that since the assignment was about doing the opposite of what was expected, Kurt singing Diana Ross in a feather boa wouldn't really fulfil that requirement.<p>

Just as Kurt was attempting to argue this point, Puck interrupted him. "Hey, dude, why don't you make yourself useful and go put some rat poison in those old folks Jell-O? Or better yet, visit the Garglers."

"The _Warblers_," Kurt corrected, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever. See what they're up to. You can wear all the feathers you want. You'll blend right in."

Kurt's immediate reaction was to take offense at the way Puck had just dismissed his suggestions while at the same time making a crack at his sexuality, but then he remembered.

The Warblers were at Dalton.

Blaine was at Dalton.

If Kurt went to Dalton under the pretence of spying on the Warblers, he could see Blaine.

"Fine," he snapped, feigning anger in order to cover up the excitement he was now feeling. He picked up his display board on which he had pinned pictures of their intricately designed costumes for the planned Dianna Ross number, and stormed out of the room dramatically.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So I know that not much happened in way of Klaine interaction in this chapter, but you guys got plenty of fluff last chapter, and I promise some more in the next one ;) I felt like this chapter was necessary, though. There were some things that really needed to be included.**

**I hope you guys all had a wonderful Christmas!**

**Once again, thank you to everyone who read/reviewed/favourited the last chapter :) I get so excited every time I get reviews! Eep lol**

**xox**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi everybody! Huge thanks to everyone who has been reading/reviewing :) You guys are awesome.**

**I'm afraid that it will be a bit of a longer wait than normal until I can post the next chapter, as I am going on a trip to Fiji tomorrow. I will post it as soon as I get back, so expect the new chapter in about 2 weeks.**

**Happy New Year!**

* * *

><p><strong>Road To Love: Chapter 7<strong>

* * *

><p>After wandering the halls of Dalton Academy for over 15 minutes in an effort to find the front office, Kurt determined that he was hopelessly lost. He was also beginning to have doubts about his decision to turn up at Blaine's school unannounced – if his earlier suspicions were correct, and Blaine was still in the closet despite the zero-tolerance bullying policy that Dalton was famous for, he probably wouldn't take too kindly to his boyfriend suddenly showing up at his school. And Kurt would end up looking like a total stalker.<p>

He shook his head abruptly, trying to rid his mind of such negative thoughts. He had always had a tendency to over-analyse things and it had never done him much good.

As he descended a large and elaborate staircase, he noticed that all the students seemed to be rushing in the same direction, and he decided to ask someone for help. He reached out to grab the arm of the first student he saw, a tall blond, who was accompanied by a slightly shorter brunet.

"Excuse me," Kurt said, "Um, hi. Can I ask you a question? I'm new here. I'm looking for somebody and I have no idea where to find him."

The blond-haired boy's eyes swept up and down Kurt's form, and Kurt felt his skin prickle in discomfort. When guys at McKinley looked at him like that, it was usually soon followed by a snarl and a homophobic slur. But the blond didn't seem to be judging Kurt – in fact, as his gaze swept across Kurt's face and he looked Kurt in the eyes, the corner of his mouth turned up in a playful and totally non-threatening smirk. He gently nudged the brunet next to him, who glanced from Kurt to the blond and back again, before turning to his friend with an excited grin on his face. Kurt frowned in confusion. This was not the reaction he usually received when meeting new people.

"My name's Jeff," the blond said, offering his hand for Kurt to shake. He took it politely.

"And I'm Nick," the brunet said, also offering his hand.

"Let me guess, you're looking for Blaine Anderson?" Jeff asked with a sly grin, his eyes twinkling.

Kurt gawped at the two boys in shock. "Y-yeah…How did you know?"

"Just a hunch," Jeff said, shrugging. "Follow us, we'll take you to him. The Warblers are throwing an impromptu performance in the senior commons right now, that's where everybody's headed."

"So…wait, the Glee club here is actually kind of cool?" Kurt asked incredulously.

"The Warblers are like rockstars!" Nick responded enthusiastically. "Come on! We know a shortcut."

And with that, Kurt had both his hands grabbed, one by Jeff and the other by Nick, and he was being dragged off down the hall far too fast for his liking. Even as he ran, feeling very confused by the bizarre scenario that was taking place, he couldn't help but look around him and admire Dalton Academy's beautiful architecture and décor. He had always harboured a deep appreciation for good interior design.

The boys dragged him into a large room completely filled with other students. They were all clad in the Dalton uniform – blue and red blazer and tie. Kurt, of course, didn't have the uniform, so he had had to improvise.

"Ooh, I stick out like a thumb," he complained.

Jeff laughed quietly. "No worries, just don't forget your jacket next time," he said. He and Nick released Kurt's hands and stepped forward to clasp their own hands together, and Jeff bent down to kiss Nick on the cheek.

_Oh, _Kurt thought, his eyes widening. "You guys are..?"

"Together?" They both piped up simultaneously, turning to grin at him. "Yup."

_Wow_. Kurt was extremely surprised by the fact that the boys were holding hands and openly showing affection in the middle of a crowded room of other male students, and _nobody _was harassing them, or even staring.

"Now, if you'll excuse us," Nick said, and he and Jeff squeezed through the crowd of boys to where a space seemed to be clearing in the middle of the room.

Suddenly, the sound of voices filled the air as several of the boys, including Nick and Jeff, headed into the cleared space and began to sing and dance in formation.

"_Da da da da da da da da, da da da da da da da da - "_

"_-Before you met me, I was alright but things…"_

Kurt gasped in shock as the lead singer of the Warblers made his way to the front of the group.

_Blaine._

Well, he certainly hadn't seen that one coming.

Kurt quickly ducked behind a tall boy to his right so Blaine wouldn't see him, and peered out from behind the boy's shoulder, watching the performance in awe.

Blaine was the shortest of the group. _Well, _Kurt thought, _that's kind of extremely adorable._

And, oh my god, he had a _wonderful _voice. It was so smooth and pure and _honest, _and Kurt wondered how it was even_ possible_ for a voice to sound honest, but it did. He wasn't straining his notes, he wasn't trying to show off, he was just singing. And he certainly wasn't faking emotion, either. He was singing about someone - _to _someone. Kurt's breath caught in his throat when he realised that that someone was probably him.

Kurt thought about how good their voices would sound together.

As the song went on, Kurt found himself laughing, grinning like an idiot, blushing, and tearing up. And as the song came to a close, he clapped enthusiastically, and subtly emerged from behind the tall boy.

Blaine was talking to two of the Warblers and laughing, his back to Kurt. Kurt took a deep breath, and walked up behind him.

"Your voice is amazing."

Blaine spun around. Kurt smiled as Blaine's eyes widened, his mouth dropped open, and his face broke into the hugest, dopiest grin Kurt had ever seen.

"Kurt!" He cried, flinging himself into Kurt's arms and squeezing him in a tight hug. The boys he had been talking to gasped and looked at each other.

"Ahhh! Blaine, you're choking me!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Ummm…long story, I'll get to that later. Seriously, Blaine, your singing was incredible. That was just…wow."

"You know I was singing about you the entire time, right?"

Kurt stared at his boyfriend, who was looking back at him with wide, twinkling eyes.

He suddenly had the overwhelming urge to grab Blaine and kiss him senseless, public decency be damned. Somehow, he managed to restrain himself. "Well, I have yet to see these skin-tight jeans of yours," he teased, "but I shall have to take you up on your offer of 'putting my hands on you' at a later date."

One of the boys behind Blaine snorted.

Kurt turned to look at him.

"Oh, right!" Blaine exclaimed, his face bright red and his voice an octave higher than usual. "Kurt, these are my friends Wes and David. Guys, this is-"

"- the infamous Kurt," Wes said, reaching his hand out for Kurt to shake. "We've heard so much about you."

Kurt giggled. "Really?" He asked teasingly, cocking an eyebrow in Blaine's direction. An obvious blush was visible on Blaine's cheeks.

"Oh, yeah," David piped up. "We've had to listen to several hour-long lectures about your hair, your eyes, your skin, your smell, the shape of your a-"

"-DAVID!" Blaine interrupted loudly, but his friend was not deterred.

"-As I recall, the words 'It's like the moon shines from his _skin_, David, you wouldn't _believe _it, and he smells like vanilla and_'-"_

"OK DAVID I THINK KURT GETS THE IDEA!" Blaine's face was now a deep shade of crimson as he glared daggers at David. Kurt giggled and, upon a nervous glance around the room, bent down to kiss Blaine quickly on the cheek.

"You're so sweet," he whispered, and the frown melted off Blaine's face as he turned to stare at Kurt. Then suddenly Blaine was kissing him, full on the lips, in the middle of the room, still filled with teenage boys.

A chorus of "AWWWW's" filled the air, and Kurt pulled back, shocked and giddy and slightly embarrassed. Blaine had an adorable goofy smile plastered on his face.

"Oh my god, Blaine. You guys are too cute. I can't handle it," Wes whined.

"I happen to think he's way out of your league," David said to Blaine, and Wes punched him in the arm.

"Be nice to Blaine, David."

"Shut up, Wes. Making fun of Blaine is all I have, don't take that away from me."

"Wrong. You also have me."

"You want me to make fun of you instead?"

"NO! That's not what I meant!"

Kurt watched the interaction in interest. "So…" he piped up, and the boys turned to look at him. He shuffled nervously. "Are you guys all…gay?"

Wes and David glanced at each other before laughing loudly.

"No, no," said Wes. "David and I are straight. Although you wouldn't be the first one to make that mistake…I wonder why that is?"

"It's because you two bicker like a married couple," Blaine muttered, and Wes shot him a glare.

"Our friends Nick and Jeff are a couple, though," Wes said. "Where are they, anyway?"

"Right here!" Jeff announced, as he joined the small circle the boys had formed, hand-in-hand with Nick. "We've already met Kurt," Jeff said as Blaine started to introduce them. "We knew it was you as soon as we saw you," he said, turning to smile at Kurt. "Your eyes really are as amazing as Blaine said."

Kurt glanced at Blaine to find him staring intently at the floor.

"This isn't a gay school, Kurt," David said. "We just have a zero-tolerance bullying policy which is actually enforced. And a safe, caring environment brings out the best in people."

Kurt smiled sadly. "That sounds amazing," he whispered.

Blaine, picking up on his sad tone, turned to him with a worried expression on his face. "Kurt, are there some people giving you trouble at McKinley?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that," Kurt responded quickly. "It's just hard for me because I'm the only out gay guy in the school." Blaine nodded in understanding. Kurt knew that it was outright lie – he was slushied on a weekly basis, gay slurs were thrown in his face constantly, and he had bruises all over his back from where Karofsky had shoved him into the lockers. But he didn't want Blaine to worry about him. There was nothing he could do, anyway.

"So, classes are over for the day. What do you say we go and get some coffee?" David asked, and the boys whooped and scampered out the door.

Blaine took Kurt's hand in his, and Kurt smiled, tears threatening to spill from his eyes as he walked down the busy hallway, holding Blaine's hand for all to see.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, the boys were all seated around the largest table in the Lima Bean, coffees in hand. Wes and David had finally stopped teasing Blaine and Kurt about how cute they were together and were now discussing football with Blaine. Nick and Jeff were sitting very close to each other, whispering in each other's ears and interspersing their words with soft kisses. They were getting some looks from other customers, but ignored them, and nobody had said anything, most likely due to the fact that they were not alone. Kurt watched this with fascination. He didn't want to seem like he was staring, but their open affection was something that he never thought he would be able to have – not in Ohio, anyway. He wanted that with Blaine – he wanted to be able to kiss him in the middle of the Lima Bean, and hold his hand on the street, and not be scared. But, as much as he hated to admit it, he <em>was <em>scared. He always held his head high and told people that he was proud of who he was, and that was true. But it didn't change the fact that this was Ohio, and he didn't go to Dalton Academy, where there was an anti-bullying policy that was actually enforced. He knew how cruel people could be.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, alerting him to a new text message from Mercedes.

_White boy, where the hell did you go? You never skip school._

**Puck sent me to Dalton to spy on the Warblers but I just wanted 2 c Blaine. He goes to Dalton. Turns out he is the lead singer of the Warblers too. My boyf is perfect & you should be jealous. Hanging out with him and his friends in the Lima Bean right now. They r all so nice =]**

_DON'T MOVE I'M ON MY WAY._

Kurt quickly shoved his phone back into his pocket and tried to act nonchalant, realising that he probably shouldn't have revealed their location_._

Mercedes arrived in record time, bursting through the door and scanning the crowded room. Kurt tried to catch her eye, but then he noticed that she hadn't come alone. Through the door behind her walked Rachel, looking extremely excited, and Santana, a devious smirk on her face.

"_Shit," _Kurt hissed, ducking his head, but it was too late. He'd been spotted.

"What's wrong?" Wes asked.

"My friends are here," Kurt muttered, as the girls hastily made their way towards their table.

"Oooh, awesome!" Blaine piped up, turning his head to look. "Oh, it's Rachel! Cool, I like her. Well, I haven't talked to her that much, but she seemed nice and friendly, if not a little loud…Wait a second…is that…OH MY GOD KURT IT'S THAT CHEERLEADER! THE SCARY ONE! OH GOD, HELP, IS SHE YOUR FRIEND? SHIT! WHAT DO I DO?"

"_Calm down," _Kurt hissed at him. "She'll behave, I promise. I'll make her behave."

He almost laughed at Blaine's terrified expression, but to be perfectly honest, he was more than a little concerned himself.

"Hey, Kurt!" Rachel greeted cheerfully as the girls reached their table. "How are you? Good to see you again, Blaine."

"Y-you too, Rachel," Blaine stammered, eyes darting towards Santana, who was leering at him.

"Nice to see you again too, hot stuff," she crooned, reaching out a hand to play with his tie.

"I'M GAY!" Blaine blurted out, and the couple seated at the table next to theirs looked up in interest.

"I'm very, very, extremely gay. You're very pretty, but I'm dating Kurt. Kurt is my boyfriend. I like Kurt."

Santana, Wes and David looked highly amused. Kurt found himself struggling to hold back a laugh.

"Santana, please stop intimidating my boyfriend. Sit down, girls," he said, motioning to a couple of empty seats.

Mercedes sat down on his left, and leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"_Damn. _He is _fine. _Kind of a goofball, but in a cute way. Nice job Kurt." She winked, as Blaine sat there looking nervous.

"What did she say?" He whispered to Kurt, as Mercedes turned to talk to David.

"Relax, honey," Kurt said, rubbing his foot against Blaine's beneath the table. "She thinks you're cute."

Blaine blushed. "You called me honey."

"Indeed I did."

"Does this mean I get to come up with a pet name for you, too?" He asked, a cheeky glint in his eyes. Kurt groaned.

"That depends. Like what?"

"Pookie-pie. Sweetums. Munchkin."

"If you call me any of those, Blaine Anderson, I will_ castrate_ you. And besides, don't you think it's a bit ironic, _you _calling _me _a munchkin? How tall are you, exactly?"

Blaine pouted. Kurt decided that he was the most adorable thing to ever exist.

"There's one thing I'm confused about," Blaine whispered, leaning in closer to Kurt so the others couldn't hear.

"What's that?"

"Why are you friends with the handsy cheerleader?"

Kurt felt his face redden. He mumbled something unintelligible.

"What was that?"

"I said, I have a confession to make."

"I'm listening."

"I asked Santana to hit on you that day in the garage so I could determine whether or not you were straight."

"You WHAT?"

"Shhhh!" Kurt hissed, glancing around to make sure none of the others were listening. "I'm sorry, it was a bad plan. I wasn't aware that she would bring the entire Cheerios team!"

Blaine stared at Kurt with an unreadable expression on his face for what seemed like forever. Kurt began to get very nervous. _Please don't be mad please don't be mad please don't think I'm a psycho._

Suddenly, he grinned. "You are _devious," _he whispered under his breath, his tone seductive. Kurt shivered slightly, and hoped Blaine didn't notice. "I bet you pretended to search the garage for that tool-box too so you would have an excuse to seduce me in your tight jeans."

Kurt looked down at his lap, face burning.

"Oh my GOD!" Blaine exclaimed, eyes wide. "You actually DID! You-"

"-Hey Kurt!" David called, and Kurt had never been more grateful for an interruption. That is, until David continued to speak.

"I didn't know you were in New Directions! Is that what you were doing at Dalton? Did you come to spy on us?" He winked.

"I-I-" Kurt spluttered, flustered. He shot Mercedes a death glare for letting that slip. "N-no, I mean, Puck – he's a member of New Directions – he told me to go and spy on you guys. But I just wanted to see Blaine, I promise I wasn't actually going to report back anything of use."

He turned to Blaine worriedly, expecting him to feel angry or betrayed, but he was bouncing in his seat with a huge grin on his face. He looked like an excited puppy. "You can SING? Oh my god, Kurt, that's awesome! Sing something, sing something!"

"I'm not going to sing in the middle of the Lima Bean, Blaine!"

"Aww, come on Kurtsie," David called.

"NO. Blaine, I will sing for you the next time I see you, when we're ALONE. David, you and the others will just have to wait until Sectionals."

"You guys should be very worried," Rachel piped up. "New Directions contains a lot of very talented members, especially me."

"Hummel's better than you, Berry," Santana interjected, sounding bored. Rachel and Kurt both turned to her in shock. Kurt was surprised that Santana would actually pay him a compliment, even though he was pretty sure it was just due to the fact that she strongly disliked Rachel 99% of the time.

Rachel looked highly affronted. "I beg your pardon, Santana, but I have been winning singing competitions for as long as I can remember-"

"-Doesn't change the fact that Kurt's voice is way more unique than yours and his vocal range probably surpasses yours even though he is a dude-"

"-I'm not denying that Kurt's range is very impressive but it is limited in its-"

"OKAY!" Wes yelled loudly, trying to break up the argument before it got out of hand. Kurt breathed a sigh of relief. An argument between Santana Lopez and Rachel Berry about the extent of Rachel's talent was bound to get very ugly, very fast.

"Let's just wait and see how it goes at sectionals, shall we?" Wes said, and Santana shrugged. Rachel was still fuming silently, but after a few minutes she seemed to get over it and began to brag to Nick and Jeff about her two dads.

Two hours and four cups of coffee later, it came time for the boys to leave if they wanted to return to Dalton in time for curfew. Blaine nudged Kurt and jerked his head towards the door, and Kurt followed him outside as the others said their goodbyes inside, exchanging phone numbers.

As soon as they exited the coffee shop, Blaine took Kurt's hand and pulled him towards the side of the building where they couldn't be seen from the parking lot or the inside of the shop. Kurt smiled at Blaine invitingly, and he immediately swept in for a kiss. It started off slow and sweet, but things soon became heated. Blaine pushed Kurt up against the side of the brick building and curled his arms around Kurt's back, sliding his hands underneath his jacket. Kurt was so caught up in the kiss he didn't even worry about the state of his designer clothes, which were pressed against the dirty wall. Blaine pulled away to take a breath.

"I've wanted to do that all day. No – all _week, _God, Kurt, I've missed you." His voice came out low and gravelly, and Kurt let out a small moan before leaning forward to capture Blaine's lips again. Blaine's hands were running up and down the bare skin of Kurt's back, and Kurt's were tangled in Blaine's hair. They were kissing so heatedly that their teeth accidentally clashed, and Kurt let out a low growl before sucking Blaine's bottom lip into his mouth and nibbling on it lightly as Blaine whimpered.

"Ahem, ahem." Kurt and Blaine broke apart and whirled around to see that they had an audience. The Warblers and the girls all stood staring at them. David and Santana were smirking, Wes looked embarrassed, Nick and Jeff were laughing, and Rachel and Mercedes looked disappointed that they had stopped kissing.

Kurt and Blaine gasped for breath, cheeks flushed from the exertion of what had been a far more intense kiss than either of them had anticipated.

"Wanky," Santana said, raising an eyebrow.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Kurt retorted, and she laughed.

"Would if I could, but I forgot my camera."

"I respect the fact that you would rather be making out with your boyfriend than sitting in a car with us," said Wes, "but we really gotta go, Blaine. Last thing I need is another detention for skipping curfew. My parents would skin me alive."

Blaine turned back to Kurt, pouting. "I better go. See you soon?"

"Not soon enough," Kurt whispered, leaning back in to place one last chaste kiss to Blaine's lips before the other boys hastily said their goodbyes to him, all of them hugging him before making him promise to hang out with them again soon. His heart warmed at the idea that he may have just made several new friends.

As soon as the Warblers were out of sight, Rachel and Mercedes raced up to him, squealing and cooing over how adorable Blaine was. Santana rolled her eyes, and he laughed, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. She made a disgusted face and pulled away, wiping at her cheek, but he saw the corners of her mouth curl up slightly.

Dalton may have a wonderful anti-bullying policy and plenty of fun, friendly students, but Kurt didn't think he'd ever be able to part with his girls. There was only so much football talk that he could stand.

Kurt said goodbye to the girls and headed back to his Navigator. He sat down and turned on the radio, grinning widely when 'Teenage Dream' started playing. Before driving off, he pulled his phone out of his pocket to text Blaine.

_So…did I pass the friends test?_

**Are you kidding me, Kurt? They LOVED you. Especially David. I'm not sure whether to feel threatened.**

_As nice as David is, you have nothing to worry about. There's only interested in one Warbler that I'm interested in ;) Besides, David would never cheat on Wes._

**Good point. =] If I'm honest, Kurt, I'm worried about whether **_**I **_**passed the friends test. I really like Rachel + Mercedes & even Santana is starting to grow on me a little. But I made a bit of a fool of myself today.**

_Blaine, no, don't even think that! My friends think you're wonderful, as do I. I'm so proud to be with you. Xox_

**I hope so. I want you to be. You're amazing, you know that?**

_Oh, I know. I'll see you on Saturday. You should wear your hair without any gel in it. It's much more pleasant for me when I run my fingers through it ;)_

**Oh my god. Kurt. You're killing me.**

_That was my intention. I'll call you later, Ok? I have to drive home now._

**Talk to you soon, sweetums!**

_Oh my god. Blaine. Stop._

**What's wrong, sweetums? Do you not like it when I call you sweetums, sweetums?**

_I am leaving. You are a disgrace._

**I'm sorry sweetums.**

_Muchkin. Munchkin munchkin munchkin. I will start calling you that in public, Blaine. IN PUBLIC._

…**.Perhaps we should call a truce.**

_Agreed. Now I really have to get home Blaine, or I'm going to miss curfew. Stop being adorable._

Kurt ignored his phone when it buzzed several more times on the drive home, although he did so with difficulty. His cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

Kurt had always wanted to fall in love, and he had always had an image in his mind of what his future love would be like. They would meet in New York. He would be five years older than Kurt, tall and elegant, with piercing green eyes. He would be exceedingly rich, and he and Kurt would sip expensive champagne in fancy restaurants as they discussed the latest trends in fashion. He would take Kurt on impromptu trips to Paris and they would stay in five-star hotels and he would charm Burt with his perfect eloquence and extensive knowledge of politics. He would also, of course, be extremely well-travelled, with a long list of contacts that would help Kurt with his thriving Broadway career.

Blaine was nothing like what Kurt had imagined. But Kurt was quickly discovering that he was everything that he had ever wanted.

He was falling for Blaine, hard and fast.

And it was perfect.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back! My trip was nice and I have a lovely tan, but I missed my internet like crazy!**

**As for the song that is sung in this chapter - Ever since I heard Darren Criss's cover of this song, I have wanted Blaine to sing it to Kurt, or for them to sing it together. It is my favourite song of all time, and there are many different versions of it, but here is the link to Darren's cover (just remove the brackets):**

**http(:/)www(.)youtube(.)com/watch?v=szBM3XMS8sM**

**Also, please note that the rating has changed from T to M, due to language and sexual content.**

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><p><strong>Road To Love: Chapter 8<strong>

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><p>For Kurt and Blaine, the next six weeks passed in a wonderful flurry of sweet text messages and desperate kisses. However, even their relationship was not without challenges. The main challenge for Kurt and Blaine was finding enough time to spend together, whilst keeping their relationship under wraps so Burt didn't find out.<p>

After a few weeks of working under Burt's guidance, Blaine had pretty much mastered the basics of what was required for his job (which was really more of a mechanic's assistant than an actualqualified mechanic). Kurt therefore managed to convince Burt to take Sundays off and let him fill in, so he and Blaine would have the whole day alone in the garage together. Burt was somewhat confused by Kurt's sudden willingness to help out, but he was grateful for the time off, and with a little encouragement from Carole, seized the opportunity to make Sunday his official 'date day' with his wife.

Unfortunately, on most Sundays, there was actually work that needed to get done, so Kurt and Blaine's kissing time was still limited. However, on slow days, Blaine would take every opportunity to push Kurt up against one of the cars and ravish his mouth.

On Saturdays, Blaine and Burt would work together, but Kurt had taken to hanging around the garage as much as possible, which Blaine found incredibly distracting – in a good way. Usually, Kurt would just curl up in the chair in the corner and read a book, occasionally peeking out over the top of the pages to send Blaine flirty looks when Burt's back was turned. If Burt found Kurt's presence unusual, he didn't say anything. However, Blaine couldn't help but feel that Kurt must surely be bored of sitting in the garage every Saturday while he worked.

One Sunday found Kurt half-seated on the hood of a fancy red convertible, with Blaine standing between his knees, arms around Kurt's waist, and sucking on his neck just softly enough not to leave any hickeys. He decided to say what was on his mind before he chickened out.

"Hey, babe, I was wondering…"

"Hmmm?"

"How come you spend so much time in the garage on Saturdays? I mean, not that I'm complaining, but wouldn't you rather hang out with your friends or something? Don't you get bored?"

Kurt pulled away from Blaine slightly and looked down, pausing before answering.

"Blaine, I see my friends every day at school. But I only get to see you on weekends. Sundays are the best day of the week for me, because I get to be with you. On Saturdays, I just…like to be around you. I miss you."

Blaine wanted to cry. He missed Kurt too. He hated that they saw each other so infrequently.

"I miss you too," he whispered, nuzzling into Kurt's neck. He wasn't sure what else to say. What else _was _there to say? He boarded at a school that was two hours away from Lima, in Westerville, during the week. Occasionally Kurt would meet Blaine and a few of the Warblers at the Lima Bean halfway between Westerville and Lima, but they all had homework to do and Glee club practice to attend, and an hour there and back was still quite a long drive to make on a weekday, so these meetings were rare. But they were doing their best. Breaking up was not an option, Blaine loved Kurt far too much to ever break up with him.

And, oh yeah, there was that. Blaine had realised that he loved Kurt.

It had happened about a month into their relationship. He had been aware, perhaps since the very moment that he first laid eyes on Kurt, that he was falling for him. That feeling just got stronger every day.

One Sunday, Kurt and Blaine were working in the garage together, when Lima was hit by a storm. It was bigger than anticipated and the power had gone out, so they had been forced to close the garage for the day. Burt and Carole were out on a date and Kurt was certain that they wouldn't be back for several hours, so he had invited Blaine up to his room. They had to run from the garage to Kurt's house, through the rain and wind, and sneak through the living room so as not to alert Finn to their presence. This turned out not to be a problem, as Finn appeared to have driven to Rachel's house, since the power-cut deprived him of his X-Box.

They ran up the stairs hand-in-hand, soaked to the bone, giggling and whispering, even though they were alone. When they entered Kurt's bedroom and locked the door behind them, Kurt turned to face Blaine, their chests just centimetres apart. It was almost pitch black, and Blaine could just make out the shape of Kurt's face and the glitter of his eyes. The air felt as though it were charged with electricity, and Blaine reached out to brush Kurt's sodden hair from his face. He could feel Kurt's warm, panting breath against his own slightly open mouth, and he pulled him into a desperate kiss with too much tongue and accidental clashing of teeth, but it was perfect. They stumbled backwards towards Kurt's bed, but then Blaine tripped on something and fell forwards, landing on top of Kurt on the bed. Kurt chuckled beneath him.

"Looks like you were the one to land on me this time. I should like some candles or something, I can barely see you."

Blaine nodded, but then realised that Kurt couldn't see him. "Yeah, sure," he said breathlessly, rolling off Kurt and sitting up on the bed.

He could hear Kurt bustling around the room, swearing a few times when he bumped into something or couldn't find his lighter.

Eventually, they managed to lightly illuminate the room with soft candlelight. Blaine's breath caught in his throat. Kurt looked absolutely breathtaking. Well, he always looked breathtaking, but the way the candlelight illuminated the contours of his face…Blaine wondered how it was possible for such a beautiful person to exist.

"Wow," he gasped.

"Wow yourself," Kurt replied, and sank down slowly onto the bed next to Blaine. Blaine leaned in to kiss him, but Kurt placed a hand gently on his chest to stop him.

"I think…it's time that I let you hear me sing," he said with a nervous smile.

Blaine's eyes widened in surprise in delight. He had been waiting for this ever since he had discovered that Kurt was in Glee Club that day in the Lima Bean.

"I'm kind of nervous," Kurt mumbled, looking up at Blaine from beneath his eyelashes. "I've sung for lots of people before, but it's different with you. You're such an amazing singer, and I really care what you think. Will you… sing it with me? It might make it easier. I'm sure you'll know the song."

Blaine nodded. He could think of nothing he wanted more than to sing with Kurt.

"Ok," Kurt said, and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply, before he started to sing.

_It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside_

Blaine gasped. Yes, he certainly knew the song. Elton John had always been one of his favourite singers. But that's not why he gasped – Kurt's voice was simply beautiful. He sounded like an angel. And even though he had a high-pitched speaking voice, Blaine had had no idea that he was a _countertenor_. He had never met an actual countertenor before.

Kurt, seeming encouraged by Blaine's reaction, continued to sing with a little more confidence.

_I'm not one of those who can easily hide_

_I don't have much money but boy if I did_

_I'd buy a big house where we both could live._

_If I was a sculptor, but then again, no_

_Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show_

_I know it's not much but it's the best I can do_

_My gift is my song and this one's for you._

Kurt stared deep into Blaine's eyes as he sang. Blaine gulped. _He's singing to me_, he thought, and was vaguely aware of tears pricking the back of his eyes. Kurt's voice sent shivers up his spine. Suddenly, he remembered that he had agreed to sing the song with Kurt, so he took a quick breath before launching into the chorus with Kurt, their eyes locked.

_And you can tell everybody this is your song_

_It may be quite simple but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is while you're in the world_

Kurt stopped singing after that, letting Blaine take the last two verses on his own.

_I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss_

_Well a few of the verses well they've got me quite cross_

_But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song_

_It's for people like you that keep it turned on_

_So excuse me forgetting but these things I do_

_You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue_

_Anyway the thing is what I really mean_

_Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen_

Kurt re-joined Blaine as they belted out the last verse together. By this point, both of them were teary-eyed and shivering slightly. Whether the shivers were caused by the cold rain or something else, neither was sure.

_And you can tell everybody this is your song_

_It may be quite simple but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is while you're in the world._

And when the song ended, Kurt smiled at Blaine, his eyes crinkling gently, and Blaine knew it.

_I'm in love with you._

_I am so, so in love with you._

But he didn't say it. Not yet.

He just leaned forward, and captured Kurt's lips with his own.

Kurt shuffled forward so he was kneeling over Blaine's lap, and pushed him gently backwards until he was lying on the bed. Then Kurt began to unbutton Blaine's coveralls.

Blaine gasped and broke the kiss, grabbing Kurt's wrist.

"Wait…Kurt, do you want to…?"

Kurt shook his head slightly. "No…no, not that. Not yet. I just…I want to feel you."

Blaine nodded in understanding, and reached up to unbutton Kurt's coveralls, too.

They slowly undressed each other, hands running down each other's sides and backs and stomachs, and then eventually lower.

They both gasped and moaned when their naked and damp bodies first came into contact with one another, and they could feel every inch of each other. Kurt sucked on Blaine's neck. "Want you," he whispered. Blaine nodded frantically, and gave an experimental thrust of his hips. The feeling of his erection rubbing against Kurt's was unlike anything he had ever felt before, and he curled his toes, moaning Kurt's name. Kurt whimpered, and Blaine's brain felt fuzzy with lust and love as he pulled Kurt down into a kiss, trying to convey everything he was feeling through his lips. They continued to thrust against each other, the room filled with soft moans and sighs and kisses.

They came together, for the first time, just seconds apart. Afterwards, Kurt cleaned them up with a washcloth from his bathroom, before they curled up in the damp sheets together and just held each other for hours. As much as they wished that they could stay that way forever, they eventually heard the front door open, announcing Burt and Carole's return. Blaine hastily pulled his clothes back on and kissed Kurt passionately before sneaking out of his bedroom window again, like he had done on the evening of the first day that they had kissed and declared themselves boyfriends.

Once in his car, Blaine called Burt and apologised for having to leave early, as there wasn't much that could be done in the garage without power. Burt was understanding, and told him to have a good week at school. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt in the pit of his stomach at having to lie to his boss, who he now saw as not just a boss, but also a friend. He knew that if he and Kurt stayed together long-term (which he certainly hoped that they did), Burt would have to find out eventually. But when he did, Blaine was almost certain that it would get back to his own father, and he just wasn't ready for that yet. He had yet to work up the courage, and figure out the best way to tell his dad that he not only had a boyfriend, but that boyfriend was his boss's son.

* * *

><p>Blaine and Kurt's one month anniversary had fallen on a Wednesday, and they had been unable to meet up, so Blaine had just slipped Kurt a bunch of red roses on Sunday, and Kurt had bought Blaine an expensive baby-blue silk bowtie. They had both been more than overjoyed with the gifts, and agreed that it wasn't really necessary to have a big celebration. Much to Blaine's delight, however, their two-month anniversary fell on a Sunday. He had begun to make preparations two weeks in advance, because he wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. Kurt deserved to have a romantic, uninterrupted night, which was something that Blaine had been yet to give him.<p>

This anniversary was also a big deal because he intended to finally tell Kurt that he loved him.

He also suspected that it might be the night that he and Kurt would make love for the first time.

He wasn't sure of this – he and Kurt had yet to have that discussion. But they had gone pretty far about a month ago on the night of that storm, and they had since had many heated make-out sessions that had left them whimpering and moaning, their jeans far too tight and uncomfortable. It seemed to Blaine that their lack of physical intimacy so far had been due to lack of opportunity, rather than unwillingness from either party. He just wanted to be prepared, in case they decided that this was what they wanted. And after all, who knew when they would next get the chance to be alone together for a whole night?

Two days before the big night, Blaine had everything organised. He had told his parents that he and his friends would be having a boy's night at Wes's house and he would just crash there. He had told Kurt to inform his dad that he would be sleeping over at Mercedes' house, and she had been more than willing to cover for Kurt. Blaine had been to bed bath & beyond to purchase all the things required to put the finishing touches to his plan, and he had checked the weather forecast over fifty times throughout the last two weeks. It seemed that everything was in order – there was only one thing left that Blaine may need. He knew that he had been putting off the inevitable, but it was time to suck it up and talk to Nick and Jeff.

* * *

><p>The conversation with Nick and Jeff lead to Blaine somehow finding himself standing outside of a small supermarket in Westerville early on the morning of his and Kurt's anniversary, with Nick, Jeff, Wes and David by his side as 'moral support'.<p>

"Guys," Blaine said, his face heating up with embarrassment and his legs trembling slightly, "I really don't need you all here. I only asked Jeff and Nick because they have been together for years and have experience in this particular area."

David just grinned and clapped Blaine encouragingly on the back. "Nonsense! My buddy is buying condoms for the very first time. I must be here to help in any way I can. And to see what size you get, and mock you mercilessly for it."

Blaine looked up at David in panic. "They come in different sizes?"

"Relax, Blaine," Wes sighed. "It's really nothing to be embarrassed about. Losing your virginity to the person that you love is a beautiful experience."

Blaine looked at Wes with an incredulous expression on his face. "Sometimes," he said slowly, "I actually don't know if you're being serious, or trolling me."

Jeff laughed, stopping abruptly when Blaine turned to him in anger. "And YOU!" He cried, pointing accusingly. "I can't believe you couldn't keep your mouth shut about this!"

Jeff at least had the decency to lower his head in shame.

"Alright, let's just…get this over with," Blaine huffed, and headed into the store, the others following behind.

As they entered, the girl behind the counter looked up and flashed them a bright smile. That is, until she saw Nick and Jeff holding hands. Her demeanour immediately changed as she glared daggers at them, her back stiffening. Blaine did his best to ignore her as he looked for the right section of the store, but David seemed pretty pissed off by the whole thing.

"Fucking bitch," he snarled so only the boys could hear. "Wes, come with me." And with that, he dragged Wes to the back of the store, muttering obscenities under his breath.

Nick and Jeff lead Blaine to the condom section. He was a bit taken aback by the _range _in front of him.

"Ok," Jeff said, "You've got regular condoms, and then they can also be flavoured, lubricated, ribbed, extra-strength, ultra-thin, et cetera et cetera. Don't get too freaked out. I recommend that you just get extra-strength ones. But you'll also need a good water-based lubricant. Here," he said, picking up a bottle of KY and shoving it into Blaine's hand.

Blaine was suddenly very grateful for Jeff's presence, and for the fact that David had buggered off to some other part of the store. _Probably buying cookies, _Blaine thought, rolling his eyes. He coughed nervously. "What did David mean about…umm…the sizes?"

"Oh," Jeff said. "Well, they stretch, so you don't need to worry about it too much, but I think the smaller ones are like six-ish inches, and the extra-large ones are around 8 inches or more. I'm not exactly sure," he said, shrugging. "We've only ever used one size."

Blaine blushed furiously, scanning the rows for a second before picking up a box of extra-strength, extra-large condoms. Nick raised an eyebrow at him at smirked. "Shut up," Blaine muttered.

"What if Kurt wants to be on top, though?" Jeff asked. "Do you need to get another size as well?"

"No, these will be fine for both of us," Blaine said, trying to keep his voice neutral as he spun around and headed for the counter, Nick's giggles following behind him.

Blaine placed the items on the counter, trying to avoid eye-contact with the checkout girl at all costs. Suddenly, David came up behind him, and threw his arm around his shoulders. Blaine looked up in surprise.

"Oh, good, you got the condoms and lube," David said, much louder than necessary. "I have the rest of the stuff right here."

Blaine looked at him in confusion, becoming aware of a basket at David's side. Wes was standing behind David and Blaine could see that he was trying to suppress a grin. David began pulling things out of the basket, and Blaine became increasingly confused at the array of seemingly random items.

Two wooden spoons.

Whipped cream.

Two pacifiers and a pack of diapers.

A pair of plastic handcuffs.

Rope.

Gay porn magazines.

_Gay porn magazines? _Blaine thought to himself for a second, before he suddenly realised what David was doing. He was buying items that made the boys look as perverted as possible. _Oh God, _he thought. _No. No no no no no no no._

But the items just kept coming.

Electric toothbrushes.

An enormous cucumber.

What looked like some sort of inflatable clown.

A large plastic sheet.

_Is he trying to get us arrested? _Blaine thought, absolutely mortified. "Hey," David said to the checkout girl, who was looking down at the items in horror, "do you think that these - " he picked up Blaine's condoms – "Would be big enough to fit over this?" He held up the large cucumber.

Her eyes looked like they were about to bulge out of her sockets. "Umm, I don't -"

"Probably," Jeff piped up suddenly, moving closer to the counter. "I mean, if they can fit over this guy's dick," he nudged Blaine, "they can fit over anything."

Blaine felt like his face was on fire. He shot Jeff a look that he hoped conveyed his feelings of _What the hell are you doing? Don't encourage this!_

David held up the cucumber, turned to Wes, and winked. Then Wes did something that created a mental image that Blaine wasn't sure he would ever be able to sear from his brain – he leaned forward, and licked a long stripe up the cucumber, from the bottom to the top, maintaining eye contact with David the entire time.

"This weekend is going to be awesome," David said. "Don't worry Blaine, I know that this is your first time ever doing something like this, but we'll go easy on you this time around. We won't use the cucumber until the second or third time. The electric toothbrushes are very good, I think you can handle them. We should get spare batteries, though – there's nothing worse than the battery running low when you're just on the edge." He winked again, before turning back to the check-out girl. Blaine was pretty sure that his expression matched hers. He wanted to crawl into a hole and die. "Well, what are you waiting for, lady? Ring 'em up."

Her hands fumbled over the items as she scanned them, and as soon as she had put them all in a bag and David had paid her, Blaine grabbed the bag and tore from the store as fast as his legs could carry him.

The other boys walked out of the store at a leisurely pace, and crossed the parking lot to where Blaine was waiting by Nick's car. As soon as David got close, Blaine lunged at him, and whacked him over the head with one of the wooden spoons.

"Ow! Ow, Blaine, get off me, you psychotic hobbit -"

"I'M psychotic? You asshole!" _*Smack* _"What the hell was that?" _*Smack* _"I have never been so humiliated in my life!" _*Smack*_

Wes grabbed one of Blaine's arms and Nick grabbed the other, pulling him back as he struggled against their grasp.

"Oh come on Blainers, I just wanted to have a laugh," David said, rubbing his head, but smiling slightly. "I mean, did you see the look on that homophobic cow's _face_?"

Jeff chuckled. "It _was _pretty hilarious, Blaine."

"I agree," said Wes. "We…what's the expression? Got that bitch so good."

Blaine slowly began to calm down as he realised that, yes, they did actually get her pretty good. She probably deserved it. No, she definitely deserved it. And no harm done, really. It's not like he'd ever see her again...at least, he really, really hoped not.

"Sorry for hitting you, David," he muttered.

"Apology accepted," David said, grinning at Blaine.

"And nice touch with the inflatable clown."

They all roared with laughter as Blaine pulled his condoms and lube from the bag and went to throw the rest of the stuff into a nearby trash can.

"No, don't throw it out!" David said, grabbing the bag from him.

Blaine raised his eyebrows. "What could you _possibly _use this junk for?"

"What if we actually decide to have a big gay orgy?" David said, shrugging. "I dunno, I'll find some use for it. It cost me, like, twenty bucks, dude."

Blaine rolled his eyes, shoving David in the direction of the car.

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><p><strong>AN: I hope you guys liked this chapter! **

**For all you angst fans, don't worry, it's coming, I just haven't gotten to it yet...**

**Next up, the big date! xD**

**Thank you guys so much for your reviews! Some of you brought tears to my eyes. I never expected so many people to read/enjoy this story!**

**Love you all!**

**xox**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: WARNING - this chapter contains SMUT! I was pretty adamant when I started writing this story that I wouldn't be including smut, but then it just went and wrote itself. What can ya do?**

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><p><strong>Road To Love: Chapter 9<strong>

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><p>Although his friends (David, in particular) could be crazy and infuriating at times, Blaine wouldn't have it any other way. After they left the store, the boys all drove the two hours from Westerville to Blaine's house in Lima, in Nick's car. After ensuring that his father's car wasn't in the garage, Blaine, David and Wes headed to the kitchen to grab the picnic basket and cooler that Blaine's mom had very kindly put together for him. All the rest of the supplies for the date had already been safely stowed either in Blaine's or Nick's trunk.<p>

Blaine's mom was sitting in the living room when the boys opened the door, and she looked up at Blaine with a wide grin on her face. He grinned back, his stomach tingling with excitement.

"Thanks again for doing this, mom. You're the best."

"Glad to be of assistance. Have fun on your big date, darling. But not too much fun. Or, if you decide to ignore my instructions and have too much fun anyway, please make sure that it is safe fun."

Blaine blushed scarlet while Wes and David cackled behind him.

"You promise not to tell dad about this, right?" Blaine asked nervously, seeking reassurance. His mom looked up at him with a slight frown on her face.

"Blaine, we have already established this. I won't tell your father about you and Kurt. I don't like lying to him, but I've seen how happy you've been recently, and that makes _me_ happy. You deserve that, sweetheart. You deserve to just be a teenager in love without having to deal with disapproval and lack of acceptance in your own home. We'll tell your father when _you _feel that the time is right, and not a moment before, I promise."

Blaine felt a lump rise in his throat. He didn't trust himself to respond without turning on the waterworks, so he swooped in to kiss his mom on the cheek before following Wes and David out the door.

The three boys then got into Blaine's car, and pulled out of the driveway. Nick and Jeff followed behind as they drove the thirty minutes it took to get to the date spot. Upon arrival, they lugged all Blaine's stuff a further twenty minutes, and then spent about two hours setting up. This was more than twice the amount of time that Blaine had intended, due to Blaine's friends being very bad at staying on task, and also, not very good at building things.

Once they finally got the job done, the boys headed back to the cars and took turns hugging Blaine and wishing him luck, David thinking that it would be appropriate to do so by making several rather vulgar gestures, for which Nick and Jeff promptly slapped him upside the head. Blaine sincerely thanked his friends for all they had done to help, before they climbed into Nick's car and took off, honking the horn loudly and waving goodbye at Blaine out the windows.

Blaine headed to his own car. It was time to pick up Kurt, and the butterflies in his stomach were going crazy. As he began to drive, however, the butterflies gave way to a heavy feeling of guilt in the pit of his stomach. He knew he was feeling guilty for lying to Burt – not just about being sick and needing to take the weekend off, but about dating Kurt. The guilty feelings had become stronger and more frequent as his relationship with Kurt progressed, and on a couple of occasions, Blaine had seriously re-considered his decision to not tell Burt about them. However, every time Blaine's father mentioned a nice daughter of one of his colleagues, or made some snippy comment about how Blaine's bowties made him look "faggy", Blaine was reminded of the unfortunate reality of his situation. He _had _to lie to Burt. It was his only chance of being able to date Kurt with any semblance of peace. If Burt found out about them, it would inevitably get back to Blaine's dad. Burt would either call him and tell him straight up, or he would fire Blaine, and then Blaine's dad would want to know why he was fired, and would no doubt call Burt himself for an explanation. If Blaine's dad found out about his relationship with Kurt, he'd make it impossible for them to see each other. He'd monitor his every action, and Blaine couldn't stand the thought of being kept apart from Kurt. He needed him in his life, and he was willing to do whatever it took to make sure that he never lost him.

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><p>At 5pm, Kurt waited at Mercedes' house with bated breath for Blaine to arrive and pick him up. Blaine couldn't pick Kurt up from his own house, and he was quite insistent on Kurt not taking his own car to their date location, so Mercedes' house seemed like the logical choice, since that was where he was supposed to be staying anyway. He and Mercedes were in her bedroom, and she was complaining loudly about the lack of solos that she was getting in Glee club, mostly due to Rachel Berry being her typical diva self and refusing to give up the spotlight. Kurt was only half-listening, and he kept glancing out of the window every thirty seconds or so, keeping an eye out for Blaine's green station wagon.<p>

When the car finally pulled up outside Mercedes' house, Kurt grabbed his overnight bag and rushed down the stairs, Mercedes hot on his heels. He pulled open the front door to see Blaine climbing out of his car. He hadn't seen him since last Saturday, and he had missed him like crazy. He was standing by his car, grinning widely Kurt and eyes twinkling with joy, and Kurt stopped dead in his tracks when he saw him. He had seen Blaine in coveralls time and time again, and occasionally in his school uniform, but he had never seen him in regular clothes before. He had mentioned that he liked to wear bowties with collared shirts and cardigans, but Kurt was a little unprepared for the actual sight, which he found both unbelievably adorable and inexplicably sexy. Unable to contain himself any longer, Kurt ran down the driveway, dropping his bag on the way, and threw himself into Blaine's arms. Blaine laughed brightly as he lifted Kurt off the ground slightly and spun him around. It was a bit of a cheesy and cliché move, but Kurt squealed in surprise and delight, and then cringed in embarrassment at having made such an undignified sound. When Blaine put him down, Kurt quickly leaned in for a long, soft kiss.

"Happy anniversary, Blaine," he whispered as he pulled back.

Blaine groaned. "God, I've missed you. Happy anniversary, Kurt." He leaned back in to kiss Kurt again. He then wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and opened his mouth, leaning into Kurt's body and kissing him passionately until he had to surface for air.

A loud wolf-whistle reminded them that they were not alone. "Save some for the big date, boys!" Mercedes called, and Kurt giggled, running back to hug Mercedes and grab his discarded bag.

He pecked Blaine on the lips one more time before getting in the car, hopping up and down on his seat excitedly.

* * *

><p>"Blaaaaaine! Tell me where we're going," Kurt whined, fake-pouting as he stared at the unfamiliar scenery out of the window of Blaine's car. They had been driving for less than twenty minutes, but they were already in an area that Kurt didn't recognise. The deserted road was surrounded by thick forest on either side, and Kurt's iPhone had absolutely no signal.<p>

Blaine just laughed, reaching over to squeeze Kurt's knee reassuringly. "No way am I telling you, it's a surprise."

"You're taking me into the woods to kill me, aren't you? You seduce innocent schoolboys with your dapper charm and devilish good looks, and then you murder them and chop their bodies into a million pieces, and bury them in the woods where nobody will ever find them."

Blaine grinned wickedly. He leaned over slightly towards Kurt's ear, and whispered in a husky tone. "If you want to pretend I'm a sadistic murderer and you're an innocent schoolboy, babe, all you had to do was ask. I can pretend to be evil." His breath was hot against Kurt's ear. He slowly ran his fingers up Kurt's thigh, his hand coming to rest on Kurt's crotch. He rubbed his fingers in slow circles, and Kurt let out a low moan, feeling himself beginning to get hard. Blaine seemed encouraged by this reaction, and lightly traced his fingers around the outline of Kurt's cock, which was now obviously straining against the material of his tight red skinny jeans. Suddenly, Blaine pulled his hand back to grip the steering wheel, leaving Kurt panting and with a full-blown erection throbbing painfully in his pants.

Kurt gaped at Blaine in shock and disbelief, and shifted slightly in his seat, his tight pants now even tighter. Although Blaine's eyes were firmly focused on the road, Kurt saw the corner of his mouth turn up in a self-satisfied smirk. He glared at his boyfriend. _Oh, that's how it is? _He thought to himself, a sudden rush of daring coursing through his body. _Well, two can play at that game, mister._

Kurt reached a hand over to Blaine's lap without preamble, and expertly flicked open the button of his pants. Blaine looked over at Kurt in shock, his mouth open.

"Eyes on the road, honey," Kurt said, quirking an eyebrow and grinning mischievously. He then pulled down the zip of Blaine's fly and grazed his fingers along the length of Blaine's already hardening cock.

"Kurt?" Blaine squeaked, his voice high-pitched and breathless, "what are you doing?"

Kurt grinned wider as he reached into Blaine's boxer-briefs and pulled out his cock. "Not to worry, my dear – you can return the favour later tonight."

He gave Blaine's cock a few playful strokes as it swelled to full hardness. Blaine let out a soft whimper, and glanced quickly in Kurt's direction. Kurt smirked, leaned over, and licked a long stripe up the side of Blaine's cock, from the base to the tip. Blaine gasped, and the car jerked to the left. Kurt looked at up at him with a small frown on his face.

"Blaine, I'm going to need you to concentrate on the road here and not get us both killed, okay?"

Blaine let out a loud mewl as Kurt took the head of his cock into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and humming. "That's kind of hard when you're – Ahhh! Kurt, oh my god, where on earth did you learn to do that?"

Kurt smiled around Blaine's cock. He may not have any experience in the art of fellatio, but since he and Blaine started dating, he had taken the liberty of doing a little research online. Okay, a _lot _of research. Instead of telling Blaine this, however, he just sunk his mouth down, taking all of Blaine's length until the head of his cock hit the back of Kurt's throat. Then, he began to bob his head up and down, all the while sucking and humming and doing amazing things with his tongue.

As he continued to deepthroat Blaine's cock, Kurt became painfully aware of his own arousal. The sounds coming out of Blaine's mouth were positively exquisite. The soft moans and breathless whimpers filled the small car. Kurt moaned wantonly around Blaine's cock, and when Blaine whispered Kurt's name and thrust his hips up slightly, it became too much. He reached a hand underneath his body and expertly flicked open the button on his jeans, pulled down his fly, and pulled out his own throbbing erection. He was already maddeningly close to the edge, but he wanted Blaine to come first, so he pumped his own cock slowly, bobbing his head faster and sucking harder. The sudden change in speed and intensity caused Blaine to let out a loud groan.

"Kurt," he whimpered softly. "C-close…"

Kurt didn't slow down, instead taking Blaine as deep as he could, and letting out a low hum deep in the back of his throat. And then Blaine was coming with a strangled cry, and Kurt had already decided that he was going to swallow, but he hadn't expected that he would actually _want _to as much as he did right now. So he swallowed every drop eagerly, and the taste of Blaine in his mouth was enough to send him over the edge too, and with a choked moan he came all over his hand. Once he could see again and remember his name, he became aware that he still had Blaine's penis in his mouth, and he pulled off with a soft "pop", which caused Blaine let out another moan.

"Jesus, Kurt, oh my god…"

"Mmmm."

"That was amazing. Come here." Blaine grabbed Kurt by the back of his collar and lifted him up into a sitting position, tilting his head and kissing him deeply. Kurt was aware that Blaine must be tasting himself right now, and he was pretty sure he couldn't get hard again so quickly, but damn if his cock wasn't trying.

Suddenly, he became aware that the car was parked in a small clearing, and he pulled back to look at Blaine accusingly.

"Blaine! I was supposed to give you road head, not parked-car head! Why did you stop?"

Blaine let out a breathless giggle. "We're here. We arrived when you were about halfway through, but you seemed so into it you didn't even notice. It's probably for the best that we stopped, I'm not sure I would have been able to keep the car on the road during that mind-blowing orgasm you just gave me."

Kurt blushed.

"Shy all of a sudden?" Blaine asked, winking and grinning cheekily. "You realise that both of our cocks are still out, right?"

Kurt's blush deepened further as he hurried to put himself together and zip up his pants, using a Kleenex from Blaine's glove compartment to wipe his hand. Blaine leaned over to press a kiss to his temple.

"I seem to do a lot of blushing around you," Kurt mumbled.

"Mmm, I know the feeling," Blaine whispered, kissing Kurt's flushed cheek. "But I love it when you blush."

This, of course, caused Kurt to blush again, and Blaine laughed.

"Come on. It's time to see the surprise."

* * *

><p>"Blaine, are we there yet?"<p>

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand tighter and flashed him a reassuring smile.

"It's about a 20-minute walk, babe, we should be there soon."

"Where are you taking me, though?"

"Like I said, it's a surprise. But I promise you'll like it. Oh, actually, I think it's just around the corner, I recognise that tree. Okay, now close your eyes."

"Oh my god, Blaine, it's already a surprise, why do I have to close my eyes?"

"Just close them."

"Fine, fine, they're closed."

"Are you sure you can't see anything?"

"No, Blaine, I can't see anything. Don't let me trip over a root!"

"I won't, I won't…okay, just a few more steps. Turn to your right. Okay, open your eyes."

Kurt gasped as he took in the sight in front of him.

He and Blaine had just emerged from a tiny path in a thick, beautiful forest. In front of them was a vast expanse of tall, lush grass and sweet-smelling wildflowers, which gave way to a beautiful, tranquil lake. The lake was flanked by forest on either side, and the sun was just beginning to set, so the sky was all shades of pink and orange, reflected off the sparkling water. The water was almost crystal clear, and a few families of swans and ducks glided across its still surface.

But best of all, in front of the lake, on the soft grass, was what could only be described as an elaborate bedsheet fort. Kurt remembered that when he was a young child and kids picked on him at school, he would drape sheets across the couches in the living room to build a fort, and he would fill it with pillows and teddy bears and sit in there for hours. His dad would usually join him, hugging him and holding him and reassuring him that the bullies were just jealous, and that things would get better. It was somewhere that he could feel safe, and protected.

Kurt looked at Blaine excitedly, before running towards the fort. When he came to the front, he pushed back the white sheet covering the entrance, and peered inside, letting out a soft gasp.

He immediately knew that it must have taken a lot of work to put the fort together. The corners were held up by thick tree branches that had been stuck deep into the earth. Several huge white sheets had been draped over the branches, and fell all the way to the floor, to form a square room. It was just high enough for Kurt to stand in, and each side of the square was about three metres long, so there was plenty of space. The ground was covered in dozens of large white, pink and purple cushions, and a couple of huge fluffy blankets. Along one of the walls sat an overnight bag, a picnic basket, a cooler, and a small gas lamp. Kurt bent down slowly and picked up one of the cushions, squeezing it to his chest. It was unbelievably soft, and had a soft rose scent.

Kurt stepped out of the entranceway of the fort, and saw that Blaine was standing a few feet away, shuffling nervously. Kurt walked to him slowly, took his face in his hands, and kissed him, slowly and deeply. The kiss was the longest that they had shared yet, and when they finally parted, there were teardrops hanging from Kurt's lashes.

"Blaine, this is amazing. You're amazing. Thank you so much for this, it's…it's beautiful."

Blaine grinned so widely and looked so pleased that Kurt couldn't help but pull him in for another quick kiss.

When they parted, Kurt smacked Blaine on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" Blaine asked, rubbing his arm in confusion.

"Do you remember the night that we got together, Blaine, and you told me that you weren't very good at romance?"

Blaine grinned sheepishly. "I take it you like the fort."

"I_ love_ the fort. Now are you going to go even a step further in proving yourself wrong and lie on the grass with me while we watch the sunset?"

"I'd love to."

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Kurt and Blaine lay intertwined in the grass, gazing up at the stars. They had long since finished an amazing dinner and a bottle of sparkling grape cider (as Blaine's mom refused to get him champagne despite his pleading), and Blaine was enjoying just holding Kurt in his arms, and listening to the boy talk. He was babbling on about Glee club and his friends. Although he complained about Rachel being a diva and Santana being a bitch and Finn being an idiot, Blaine could hear the love and fondness in his tone. That was one thing that Blaine loved about Kurt the most – the way that he loved and cared for those around him, even if they didn't necessarily deserve it. And when Kurt talked about the things he loved, like singing and Glee club, he did so with such a fiery passion that it blew Blaine away, and he just loved the way that Kurt <em>loved, <em>with his whole being.

Blaine sat up slightly, leaning on his elbow so he could see Kurt's face. The soft moonlight on his face made his eyes sparkle and his skin glow luminously as he continued to speak, and Blaine was in absolute awe. And then, he just couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I love you."

Kurt stopped talking and turned to look Blaine in the eye, his lips parting slightly in surprise. He smiled. "I love you too," he said simply. Blaine's heart swelled with joy.

He leant down to kiss Kurt, slowly and deeply, and Blaine decided that he didn't ever want to stop doing this, ever. But unfortunately, it was starting to get quite cold. He let out an involuntary shudder, and Kurt pulled back with a chuckle, and climbed to his feet. Blaine let out a whine, and raised his arms to try and get Kurt to lie with him again. Kurt grinned down at him.

"Relax, my love. I'm just going to get a blanket or something. "

"Oh, ok," Blaine said. "Could you get me some socks too, please? They're in the overnight bag."

"Sure. Be back in a minute."

Kurt headed into the fort, and Blaine flopped onto his back in the grass, letting out a long sigh of contentment.

"Hey Blaine?"

Blaine turned on his stomach to look at the entrance to the fort, where Kurt was standing with a rather odd expression on his face that Blaine was having difficulty deciphering.

"Kurt? What's wrong?"

"Nothing…nothing's wrong. It's just…umm, I found these. They were in your bag." Kurt held up the box of condoms that Blaine had bought earlier that day.

Blaine blushed scarlet, and he was glad that it was dark enough that Kurt wouldn't be able to tell. "Oh, Kurt, I'm so sorry…I just wanted to be prepared, you know, just in case you wanted to…it doesn't mean that we _have _to, and I'm certainly not expecting anything, we should go at whatever pace you feel comfortable with, I just thought that maybe -"

" – Blaine. Stop freaking out and let me say something."

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. You can talk."

"Good. Now, why don't you come inside so we can put these to good use?"

Blaine gawped up at his boyfriend, unsure of whether he'd heard right. With a sultry wink, Kurt slowly turned around, and walked back into the fort with a sway of his hips. Blaine was on his feet in milliseconds, and he ran up to the entrance, only to get tangled up in the sheet in his rush to get inside.

Kurt giggled from where he was lying on the bed of cushions. Once Blaine managed to disentangle himself, his face was bright red again. Kurt looked up at him, his eyes twinkling, and bit his lip nervously. Blaine let out a small groan because, _unf, _that was hot. He dropped to his knees and crawled over to Kurt, placing his legs on either side of Kurt's body, and bent down to kiss him on his lips, jaw, and neck. Kurt let out a breathless sigh, and it took all of Blaine's willpower to stop kissing Kurt for a moment.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely. Are _you _sure about this?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my whole life."

"Good. Why are you still wearing clothes?"

Kurt reached up to pull Blaine's shirt over his head, as Blaine began working at the complex buttons on Kurt's vest. Kurt chuckled.

"Here, let me. My clothes are quite complex and difficult to get out of. I've had plenty of practice." Within a few seconds, Kurt's vest was discarded, and he was working on the buttons on his shirt. Blaine took it upon himself to place soft kisses upon every inch of Kurt's exposed skin, which caused Kurt to become distracted and fumble over his buttons. He pushed Blaine away gently.

"Pants. Off. Now."

Blaine willingly complied, and by the time he was done, Kurt had shucked his pants too, and they were both kneeling there in their underwear, their obvious arousals straining against the thin material of their boxer-briefs.

"Lie down," Blaine commanded, his voice heavy with lust as he took in Kurt's smooth, toned chest. As Kurt complied, Blaine leaned over and gripped the waistband of his boxer-briefs, and Kurt lifted his hips to allow Blaine to pull them off more easily. Blaine placed soft kisses to Kurt's stomach, and when his cock sprang free, he kissed the tip, which made Kurt buck his hips and let out a low moan. Once Blaine had pulled Kurt's underwear all the way off, he made quick work of his own, and he heard Kurt gasp when his erection sprang free. Then he leant down to kiss Kurt on his collarbone and chest. He sucked a soft pink nipple into his mouth, and Kurt let out a gasp of surprise, followed by several small moans that made it nearly impossible for Blaine not to touch himself. He released Kurt's nipple, and leaned up so that his face was directly above Kurt's.

"How do you want to do this?" He asked quietly.

"Oh," Kurt responded, looking unsure. "Umm, whatever you prefer is fine…"

Blaine thought about it for a second, before wrapping his legs around Kurt and flipping them around in one swift motion. Kurt squeaked in surprise.

"Lube is in the bag," Blaine breathed against Kurt's ear.

Kurt's eyes widened. "Oh…you mean, you want me to…?"

Blaine nodded. "I heard it's easier to be on your knees, but I really wanted to be able to see your face, at least for the first time, if that's okay..?"

Kurt nodded. "Yes, I'd prefer that too."

He reached over to grab the lube from the bag. He had read about how to do this, but he was still nervous as hell, and his hand shook as he popped open the bottle and poured lube onto his fingers, rubbing them together to warm it up.

Blaine lay on the cushions, his legs propped up and spread wide, his eyes dark with lust as he looked up at Kurt. The sight was almost enough to make Kurt come right there. He took a deep breath as he knelt between Blaine's legs and positioned a finger at his entrance.

"Are you ready?" He asked, his voice trembling slightly. Blaine nodded.

He pressed in slowly, eyes clouding over with arousal as the tight heat enveloped his finger. Blaine gasped beneath him, and Kurt looked up worriedly.

"Are you okay? Is it hurting you?"

"No, no, it just…feels kinda weird. Maybe you could…move it around a little bit?"

So Kurt moved his finger in and out, and Blaine's breathing began to speed up, small moans and sighs escaping his lips.

"Feels good," he mumbled. "More, please, Kurt…"

Kurt slowly pushed his middle finger in alongside the first, and Blaine moaned loudly at this, moving his hips to try to push the fingers deeper. Kurt's mouth dropped open as he took in the sight below him, and he quickly leaned down to place a wet, open-mouthed kiss on Blaine's panting mouth. When he pulled back, he remembered something that he'd read, and he crooked his fingers slightly, pressing them in deeper until he felt a little nub.

Blaine let out a strangled scream. Kurt smiled widely. _Guess I found it, _he thought, and he continued to rub Blaine's prostate, turning him into a screaming, writhing mess.

"More, please, Kurt, I need more, ohgodthatfeelssogood…"

Kurt pushed a third finger into Blaine's hole, and this time Blaine winced as it entered. Kurt gave him a moment to adjust before he began moving his fingers in and out again, being sure to hit Blaine's prostate each time. Blaine arched his back, moving his hips with the thrust of Kurt's fingers.

Suddenly, he stopped moving, and stared up at Kurt, eyes wide. "Please," he whimpered. "I want you."

Kurt groaned, and pulled his fingers out of Blaine. He whined at the loss, while Kurt fumbled around amongst the cushions, looking for the box of condoms. Blaine found it and handed it to him, and Kurt hurriedly tore one open, and slid it over his dick. He reached for the bottle of lube and squirted some into his palm, and he was so close that even just the few strokes that it took to lube himself up almost made him come. He took a moment to compose himself.

"Kuuuurt,"Blaine moaned.

"Just give me a second," Kurt said breathlessly, kneeling between Blaine's legs again, and he nodded in understanding.

After a minute or so, Kurt breathed in deeply and looked Blaine in the eyes. "Ok," he said shakily, "are you ready?"

Blaine nodded frantically, and Kurt couldn't help but grin at his eagerness. He kissed him quickly before positioning himself at his entrance and pushing in slowly, taking deep breaths and fighting the urge to thrust inside. Once he was all the way in, he looked up at Blaine's face. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and Kurt leant down to kiss him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just give me a moment…"

Blaine was so tight and hot around him, it took all of Kurt's strength to stay still, but he waited patiently for Blaine to adjust, softly kissing and sucking on his neck in the meantime.

After several seconds, Blaine opened his eyes. "Okay," he whispered. "You can move."

Kurt let breathed in sharply, pulling almost all the way out, before pushing back in slowly. Blaine moaned encouragingly, so Kurt did it again, and again, until Blaine was whimpering and moving his hips, trying to thrust back onto Kurt's cock.

"Kurt, harder, please…"

Kurt willingly complied, thrusting in harder and faster, and Blaine's moans and grunts increased in volume. Kurt reached around underneath Blaine's hips and lifted him up slightly, placing another cushion underneath, trying to get an angle where he could hit his prostate on every thrust. He knew he had succeeded when Blaine let out a loud scream of pleasure, his eyes rolling back in his head and his back arching as his fingers curled around the cushions next to him, squeezing tightly. Kurt reached out to take his hand, and intertwined their fingers. Blaine gripped his hand hard.

"Again," he moaned.

Kurt thrust up again, and again, building up a rhythm and hitting that spot every time. Blaine was making the most delicious sounds, wanton moans and breathless pants and gasps. Occasionally he would utter Kurt's name, his voice filled with lust and wanting and need. Kurt wasn't sure how much longer he could last.

Blaine looked incredible, back arched and legs trembling, a light sheen of sweat covering his olive skin. His head was thrown back and his hair was plastered to his forehead, his mouth slightly agape.

"Blaine," Kurt gasped, his rhythm becoming slightly erratic as he neared his orgasm, "I'm close."

Blaine threw his head back further, letting out a loud whimper as he angled his hips upwards so Kurt could thrust even deeper. "Me too," he groaned, "so close, Kurt."

Kurt reached his free hand up to grip Blaine's cock in his hand, some lube still left on his fingers. He didn't even need to pump his hand, as Blaine was thrusting into his fist, one, two, three times, and then he let out a scream of pure pleasure, his hole clenching around Kurt's cock. That was all it took for Kurt to fall over the edge as well, and he let out a choked moan as he buried himself deep inside Blaine and came harder than he had ever come in his life.

Kurt collapsed on top of Blaine, and they lay there for several minutes, panting heavily in an attempt to regain their breath. After a while, Kurt kissed Blaine's lips tenderly, before gingerly pulling out. Blaine winced at the loss, and quickly pulled Kurt back to his body, curling his arms around his naked torso and intertwining their legs. Their faces were just an inch apart, and Kurt leaned forward, rubbing his nose against Blaine's in a sweet eskimo kiss.

"I love you so much, Blaine," he whispered. "That was amazing. _You're _amazing."

Blaine breathed in deeply, and he could smell Kurt's sweet scent of vanilla and honey and rose, tinged with something else that he soon recognised as s_ex. _He decided that it was a scent that he liked very, very much.

"This has been the best night of my life," he responded honestly.

"Me too," said Kurt, bringing Blaine's hand up to his mouth and kissing his knuckles softly. "I'm so thankful to have met you."

Their lips met in a slow, languid kiss, both boys loose-limbed and exhausted. When Kurt yawned against Blaine's lips, he chuckled, and pulled a blanket over the both of them.

"I think it's probably time to get some sleep," he said, pulling Kurt closer so that their chests were touching.

"I think you're right," Kurt yawned in response, his eyes already closed.

"Hey Kurt?"

"Mmm?"

"Say it one more time?"

"I love you, Blaine."

"I love you too, Kurt."

He placed one final kiss to Kurt's forehead, before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

><p>At 7am, Burt Hummel was already dressed in his coveralls, and was eating his breakfast when his wife Carole came downstairs in her dressing gown.<p>

"'Mornin', beautiful," he grunted, smiling at her as she sat down at the dining table.

"Good morning," she replied, a small frown on her face. "What's going on? I thought we were going out for breakfast today."

"I'm sorry, love, but I can't, I gotta work today. Blaine's sick so he's taking the weekend off, and Kurt's gone to Mercedes' house for a sleepover, he was pretty adamant about needing to go. Apparently she's having boy troubles, or something."

Carole sighed in disappointment. Burt reached across the table and squeezed her hand in apology. "I'm sorry, babe. Some other time."

Suddenly, Carole's face brightened. "Maybe I could go and pick Kurt up a little early? He's an early riser, and we've both been talking about having breakfast at that new vegetarian place sometime. It's been a while since we've had any one-on-one bonding time."

Burt smiled widely at his wife's enthusiasm. He was so thankful that Carole and Kurt got along – they were the most important people in his life. Not that their friendship came as much of a surprise to him – after all, they were both such loving, wonderful people. When he met Carole, he had been a little worried that Kurt would think he was trying to replace Elizabeth, Kurt's mother. But Kurt had been nothing but supportive, and had been truly thrilled to see Burt happy again. He really did have the best family anyone could ever ask for, Finn included.

"I think that's a great idea, honey. You two have fun. Maybe take him shopping too, he'd enjoy that."

Carole's eyes lit up at the prospect of shopping with Kurt, and Burt leant across the table to kiss her on the cheek, before heading out to the garage.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Burt was busy at work when his cellphone rang in his pocket. He saw that it was Carole calling, and accepted the call.<p>

"Hi, beautiful."

"Burt, we have a problem."

"What's wrong? Did your car break down again?"

"No…it's Kurt. He's not at Mercedes' house."

"What? What do you mean, he's not at Mercedes' house?"

"I mean, I got here, and Mercedes answered the door. I asked if I could take him out for breakfast, and she panicked. She told me he'd driven out to get breakfast already, but I could tell she was lying. His car was parked across the street. So I demanded to know where he was, and Burt, don't…don't freak out okay?"

"I'm already freaking out, Carole, what did she say?"

"She said he's gone out with his boyfriend. For the night."

Burt almost dropped the phone in shock. His _boyfriend_? No…no, Kurt couldn't have a boyfriend. He would have told him. They told each other everything.

"His _boyfriend_? This is the first I'm hearing about a boyfriend! Who is it?"

"She wouldn't tell me! She said it's not her place to say! I tried to call Kurt but it kept going to voicemail."

"Well, where did they go?"

"She doesn't know. Kurt didn't even know, apparently it was a surprise."

Burt practically growled into the phone in frustration.

"You mean to tell me that my son has been out all night, in some unknown location with some mystery boy he's been seeing behind my back, and he's completely unreachable? What if this boy hurt him, tried to force him into something? God, what if someone _else _saw them and hurt them? This is Lima! Kurt's a strong person but we both know he wouldn't do well in a physical confrontation."

"I know, I know!" Carole sounded very upset, borderline hysterical. "But, Burt, listen to me. Mercedes gave me the number of one of the boy's friends, David. She said he might be able to tell us where he is. Do you have a pen?"

Burt rushed into the office, grabbing a pen and piece of paper, and taking down the number that Carole gave him. He hung up and quickly dialled the other number, his hands trembling with worry.

"Hello?"

"Is this David?"

"Yup, who's this?"

"This is Burt Hummel speaking."

"Burt Humm…shit."

"'Shit' is right. And you are going to be in some pretty big shit if you don't tell me where my son is."

"Mr. Hummel, I -"

"WHERE THE HELL IS MY SON, KID?"

"At Wellsford Lake! It's just off the -"

Burt hung up. He knew where Wellsford Lake was. He had been there once with Elizabeth and Kurt, back when Kurt was just a toddler.

He grabbed his keys off the desk and ran out to his truck.

* * *

><p>By the time Burt arrived at the lake, he had had plenty of time for his mind to go through all the possible worst-case scenarios of what could have happened to his son.<p>

The lake was almost totally isolated, and nobody would be able to hear him screaming for help if that 'boyfriend' decided to hurt him.

If some homophobic, asshole guys decided to camp out at the lake and saw a young, vulnerable gay couple, there would be nobody to help them. There wasn't even any cell reception in this area.

His heart pounded in his chest as he parked his car, and hurried along the dirt path to the lake.

He wasn't particularly fit, but the adrenaline kept him going, and he made quick time, cutting the 20-minute walk in half. As he burst out of the thick trees, he spotted some kind of fort/marquee-like contraption that looked like it was built out of bedsheets. He ran towards it.

"Kurt!" He called, gasping for breath. "Kurt, are you okay? Kurt!" He saw a loose sheet blowing in the wind, and figured that it must be the entrance. He pulled it back, and stepped inside. He stopped short at the sight before him.

Kurt was lying on the floor, which was covered with cushions. He was just beginning to stir. His lower half was covered with a purple blanket, but he was very clearly naked, as was the boy next to him who was lying on his stomach. Their clothes appeared to be strewn around them. Burt couldn't see the other boy's face, but he could see that right beside him lay an open box of condoms and a bottle of KY.

Burt heard a loud gasp, which let him know that Kurt had woken up, and had noticed his presence. He turned to face him.

He looked like a deer caught in the headlights, his eyes wide and hair dishevelled. "Dad!" He squeaked, his voice panicked, as he pulled the blanket up, trying to conceal his body further.

The boy next to him began to stir, and Kurt turned to him with his panicked eyes as he mumbled Kurt's name softly. Then he rolled over, and Burt gasped in shock.

_Blaine._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Omg, I was absolutely floored with the response I got to the last chapter. Road To Love now has 100+ reviews, oh my god you guys. Thank you so much!**

**I just wanted to remind you all that I am not actually from the U.S., I'm from New Zealand, so if I make any small cultural errors (should only be minor things such as writing 'mum' instead of 'mom'), please just try to overlook them lol.**

**I want to give a big thanks to my little sister, who has been listening very patiently to me ramble on about possible plot-lines for this story, and offering her own advice & feedback. **

**Next chapter will be up within a week, as always! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Road To Love: Chapter 10**

* * *

><p>Kurt smiled in his sleep, cosy and warm in the soft cushions, his dreams filled with hazel eyes and dark curls and sweet kisses and soft moans.<p>

But then he heard his dad's voice calling his name, and he frowned, because it did not belong in these dreams, and its anxious tone made him feel uneasy.

"Kurt, are you okay? Kurt!"

Kurt mumbled in his sleep, annoyed at the interruption. He rolled over onto his side, trying to tune out the noise, but he could feel himself unwillingly crossing the barrier from dreaming to consciousness. He blinked open his eyes slowly, allowing them to adjust to the light. Blaine was sleeping on his stomach next to him, and he looked so peaceful. The events of the previous night came rushing back, and Kurt felt his whole body warming up from the inside as he smiled at the sleeping boy next to him. Then there was a shuffling sound and a soft gasp from the front of the tent.

To say that Kurt was shocked when he turned his head and saw his dad standing in the entranceway of the fort would be an understatement of epic proportions. Burt's eyes were wide with shock as he looked down at Kurt and Blaine, both naked except for the purple blanket thankfully obscuring the lower halves of their bodies from view. Kurt gasped, clinging to the blanket and pulling it further up his body reflexively. Burt's gaze (which had been trained on Blaine's back, Blaine's face hidden from view from the entranceway), suddenly turned to him, expression unchanging. Kurt felt movement to his right, and he looked over in horror as Blaine began to wake up. The implications of their current situation were only just beginning to make sense in his sleep-addled mind, and he realised that his dad was only seconds away from finding out about him and Blaine in possibly the most traumatic way imaginable, for all parties involved.

"Kurt," Blaine mumbled softly, his eyelids beginning to flutter. He rolled onto his back, and Kurt heard his dad let out another gasp of shock. Kurt froze.

Blaine blinked his eyes open, and they immediately landed on the figure in the entranceway. For a few seconds, Burt and Blaine just looked at each other, Blaine's expression a combination of confusion and mild interest. Then suddenly, the situation seemed to click, and his eyes widened in horror. Kurt winced as Blaine let out a loud, high-pitched shriek, and sat bolt upright, mimicking Kurt's actions and pulling the blanket further up his body. He turned to stare at Kurt, and both their expressions said the same thing: _Well, fuck._

"_Blaine?" _Burt hissed, and Blaine turned his head quickly back to Burt, cowering in fear.

"I-I don't-what the _hell?" _Burt stammered angrily, looking back and forth between Kurt and Blaine, who were both staring up at him, wide-eyed and terrified and feeling very, very small.

"S-sir, it's not what you think, I swear!" Blaine's voice was so quiet that Kurt wasn't even sure if Burt heard him.

"Dad, please, we can explain…"

Burt shook his head abruptly, pressing his hands to his temples and shutting his eyes tightly. "Both of you , just shut up for a second!"

Kurt and Blaine shut up immediately, and Kurt daringly reached out to clasp Blaine's hand in his, knowing how terrified he must feel.

After a few seconds, Burt seemed to regain his composure. He exhaled slowly, and opened his eyes. "I need some time to process this," he said, his voice slow and controlled, and disturbingly calm. "I am going to wait outside while the both of you get dressed. Then we are going back to my house, and we are going to have a lengthy and probably very unpleasant conversation." With a last stony glance at Kurt and Blaine, Burt turned on his heel and left the fort.

The boys sat in silence for a moment, their bodies stiff and hearts pounding.

"Shit," Blaine whispered finally, his voice trembling. "Kurt…What do I do?"

Kurt turned to look at Blaine, and upon seeing his distress, quickly reached out and took his face into his hands, caressing his cheek in a gesture that he hoped was reassuring. He took a deep breath, focusing on keeping his voice even. "Just be honest, Blaine. Don't worry, he's not…my dad's a really reasonable guy, he'll understand." He kissed his boyfriend quickly. "I'm so sorry about this. I love you. Now come on, let's just…get dressed, and get this over with."

* * *

><p>Just under an hour later, Burt's car pulled up to the Hudson-Hummel residence. Kurt breathed a sigh of relief, despite the nervous clenching in his stomach.<p>

After he and Blaine had emerged from the fort back at the lake, Burt had politely offered to help Blaine carry some of his supplies back to the car. His seemingly calm tone had done nothing more than frighten Kurt and Blaine further. Kurt thought he would have preferred if his dad had yelled and snarled at them, because at least then he would know where he stood.

They had walked back from the lake to the cars in silence, carrying the bags between them (Blaine said he would come back and take the fort down later). Once they reached the clearing where their cars were parked, Burt had announced that Kurt would be travelling back with him, and Blaine would follow behind in his own car. Neither of the boys dared to argue, and Kurt opted to take the back seat of the car so he wouldn't have to look at his dad's face during the drive. To make matters worse, Burt didn't say a word to him the entire trip back. He didn't turn on the radio, and Kurt was too scared to ask him to, so the car was filled with a heavy silence.

So, when they finally arrived back home, Kurt was feeling claustrophobic and anxious, and he quickly jumped out of the car. Blaine parked his own car across the road, and Kurt clasped his hand when he approached. Burt was already headed inside the house, and the boys followed reluctantly. Blaine was suddenly very grateful for Kurt's hand in his.

Upon entering the house, the boys were immediately faced by a frantic Carole, who rushed into the room. She took at one look at them, her eyes darting down towards their clasped hands, before they were both being pulled into a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you both are okay!" She said as she pulled back, and Kurt silently begged her not to start crying. Thankfully, she didn't, instead ushering them both onto the living room couch before dragging Burt into the kitchen.

Blaine turned to Kurt in surprise.

"Did you tell her about us?"

"No," Kurt said, shaking his head, equally bewildered by Carole's seemingly complete lack of surprise at seeing Blaine and Kurt together. "I didn't say a word, I swear."

A few minutes later, Burt and Carole emerged from the kitchen. Carole placed four cups of tea and a jar of sugar on the coffee table, before sitting down on the couch opposite the boys, next to her husband.

"So…" Burt said, and Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand firmly.

"Blaine, give me one good reason why I shouldn't fire you right now and forbid you from ever seeing my son again."

"BURT!" Carole cried. "What happened to giving the poor boy the benefit of the doubt?"

"Carole, I AM giving him the benefit of the doubt! Here's the part where he explains himself."

"Dad, please," Kurt interjected, his voice strained. "This isn't Blaine's fault!"

"Really, Kurt? It isn't Blaine's fault? 'Cos all I'm seeing right now is an employee who lied to me, snuck around behind my back, and used his position to sleep with you. And, even worse, he convinced _you_ to lie to me, too! Since when do you lie to me, huh, Kurt? You tell me that. Look me in the eye and tell me that Blaine didn't _ask_ you to lie to me."

Kurt felt his eyes pricking with tears. Blaine _had_ asked him to lie to Burt, it was true. But it wasn't that _simple. _

"Blaine didn't manipulate me, dad! And he mostly certainly was not just trying to get into my pants! For your information, last night was our two month anniversary of being _boyfriends,_ and also our first time, which you so rudely interrupted this morning-"

"-Hey, don't you dare try to make this my fault, kid! How the hell was I supposed to know that? All I knew was that you weren't at Mercedes' house like you said, and all _she_ knew was that you were off with some anonymous boyfriend! I tried to call you and you were completely unreachable, it's a good thing Mercedes' gave me some David guy's number and he was able to tell me where you were, or I would have been completely freaking out. _Anything _could have happened to you out there, Kurt! What if some violent homophobes came by the lake, huh? What would you have done then? I know that the lake is usually deserted but all it takes is _one _instance of bad luck, Kurt, so FORGIVE ME for being worried and coming to make sure you were alright-"

"BURT, KURT, PLEASE!" Carole yelled loudly, and Burt and Kurt immediately fell silent, looking at her in surprise. She could be quite loud when she wanted to be.

She took a few deep breaths. "How about we let Blaine explain himself, hmm? Go ahead, sweetie," she said, turning to Blaine expectantly.

Blaine's face was pale, his hands shaking. Kurt squeezed his hand reassuringly. When he spoke, his voice was soft and shaky.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking up and making direct eye contact with Burt for the first time since the horrible incident that morning. "Burt, I…I swear I haven't been taking advantage of Kurt. I would never do that…I love him."

Burt inhaled sharply, and Kurt smiled at Blaine, who continued to speak.

"I'm so sorry I lied to you and asked Kurt to lie to you, I really am. It was wrong of me, and I should never have done it, but I was scared… I was scared that if we told you about us, you would tell my dad."

Burt raised his eyebrows at this. "Are you not out to your parents yet, Blaine?"

"No, I – I am…my mom knows I'm gay, and she even knows about Kurt. My dad knows I'm gay too, but he just…doesn't accept it. He likes to pretend I'm straight and he hates it when I 'dress gay' or listen to 'gay music', and he doesn't like that I'm a member of my school's Glee club…if he can't accept those things, how could he ever accept my boyfriend?"

Kurt could see that Blaine was struggling to talk about his father. He and Blaine had talked about Edward Anderson, briefly, when Kurt had demanded an explanation as to why they couldn't tell Burt about their relationship. Blaine had been reluctant to speak about his father, but he had given Kurt the short version of why Edward couldn't find out about them. That had been enough for Kurt, at the time – he had figured that Blaine would tell him the rest when he was ready. And even though Kurt knew that Burt accepted him, Blaine was his first boyfriend, and he really had no way of knowing how his dad would react to something like that, especially considering the fact that Blaine worked for him. So, because he had been scared of losing Blaine, he had gone along with it – he now realised that he and Blaine should probably have discussed the matter more. That way they could have told Burt themselves, like mature adults, instead of being caught sneaking around like a couple of rebellious teenagers.

"M-my dad is not a bad person, really, he's not," Blaine continued, his eyes on Burt and his tone almost pleading. Kurt wondered who Blaine was really trying to convince – Burt, or himself. A tear slipped from Blaine's eye, running down his cheek.

"My dad's just…old-fashioned, and stubborn, but he loves me, I know he does. He'll come around eventually, but until he does, he can't find out about Kurt and I. He'll do everything he can to keep us apart, and he'll make up some stupid excuse, like I'm too young to date, or I need to focus on my schoolwork. And I can't s-stand the idea of losing Kurt, not n-now, not when I've only just f-found him…"

By this point, tears were streaming down Blaine's face, and Kurt could tell that he was just barely managing to hold back his sobs. Unable to stand it any longer, he pulled Blaine into his arms, holding him close, while his boyfriend sobbed into his shoulder. Silent tears ran down Kurt's face too, his heart breaking at the sight of seeing his boyfriend so upset.

"Never," he whispered softly into Blaine's ear. "You won't lose me. Not now, not ever. I'll never say goodbye to you."

They stayed there like that for several minutes, until Blaine's tears finally subsided and his breathing settled down into an even rhythm. When they finally broke apart slightly, Blaine looked embarrassed at his breakdown, and stared at his lap, avoiding eye contact with Burt and Carole.

When Kurt looked up at his dad and stepmother, he saw that Carole was wiping her puffy red eyes with a handkerchief, sniffling quietly. Burt's expression was difficult to read, but Kurt thought that he looked almost pained, and he was twisting his hands together, a sign which Kurt had learnt meant that he was feeling guilty.

Burt coughed gruffly. "Well, Blaine, Kurt," he said, regarding them each in turn. "I think it is safe to say that you have both misjudged me."

The boys looked at each other in confusion.

"I'm _not_ going to tell your father about Kurt," Burt said, looking Blaine directly in the eye. "Not if you don't want me to."

Blaine's blinked in surprise. "But, I thought…don't you feel, like, obligated to tell him, since you'd want to be told if you were in his place? Parental loyalty, or something?"

Burt shook his head. "It's different," he said. "Yes, I am Kurt's dad, and yes, I would want him to tell me if and when he gets a boyfriend. But in telling me, I can assure you that Kurt would be safe and accepted, as would his boyfriend. I have absolutely no sense of loyalty, or obligation, to a man who won't even accept and support his own kid. And you know what? I don't give a rat's ass, to be honest, if your old man is 'old-fashioned' or whatever the hell you said to try to defend him. Because as a parent, sometimes something unexpected will come up, and you will need to re-think the views that you were raised with. And when that happens, you gotta have the wisdom to know when you were wrong, and the courage to admit it. Because that's what family does. They protect each other, and they love each other unconditionally, for everything, not just the convenient parts."

Blaine stared at Burt in awe, silent tears running down his face once again.

Burt turned to Kurt.

"And Kurt, I'm disappointed that you would think so little of me. Blaine doesn't know me as well as you do, but I want you to know that you can trust me, and you don't have to keep things from me."

Kurt nodded tearfully. "I'm sorry, dad," he said softly, crying tears of joy. He felt so lucky to be blessed with a dad like Burt Hummel. He was ashamed, however, that he hadn't trusted him enough to be honest. He vowed never to make the same mistake again.

"I promise I'll always be honest with you, dad," he said, and he meant it.

"Good. Now come here and give your old man a hug."

Kurt and Burt both stood up, and Kurt threw himself into his dad's arms. Burt hugged him tightly, and Kurt felt safe and loved and so, so relieved. He was so glad that everything was finally out in the open, even though he was pretty sure he was going to be punished.

"Am I grounded?" He asked meekly, his head still buried in Burt's shoulder. Burt chuckled.

"No, you're not grounded. You promised me that you would be honest with me in the future and I believe you. You shouldn't have lied in the first place, but it was a complicated situation and I can see why you did it. Just take this experience and learn from it, okay kiddo?" Kurt nodded, and pulled back to smile at his dad.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Burt said gruffly, ruffling Kurt's hair. He then turned to Blaine.

"You look like you could use a hug too, kid."

Blaine looked up in surprise before he was being roughly pulled to his feet and into a slightly awkward hug. Kurt giggled, and grinned at Carole.

"GROUP HUG!" Kurt yelled, and he and Carole both launched themselves at Burt and Blaine, squeezing them tightly.

"Ahhh!" Burt cried. "I'm being crushed!"

When they pulled apart after a few seconds, everyone was laughing, including Blaine. Kurt's heart warmed as he snuggled up to his boyfriend's side. "See, baby? Everything's going to be okay."

Blaine turned to Kurt with his eyes so full of love and emotion that Kurt almost started crying again. "I love you so much," he whispered.

Kurt smiled. "I love you too." He leaned in to kiss Blaine softly, allowing his lips to linger.

Burt coughed, and the boys broke apart, remembering that they were not alone.

"So, Blaine," Burt said, somewhat awkwardly, "you are welcome to stay for lunch, unless you have to head home."

Blaine shook his head, a shy smile on his face. "No, sir, my parents aren't expecting me until later this afternoon. Thank you for the offer, I'd love to stay."

"It's Burt, kid, not 'sir'. We've known each other for two months, don't get all weird on me now."

Blaine laughed lightly. "Yes, Burt."

"Do you want to watch a movie in my room?" Kurt asked, taking Blaine's hand. "I have RENT."

"Sure," Blaine said, following Kurt towards the door.

"No funny business!" Burt called after them.

"I think we're both still too tired from last night!" Kurt yelled over his shoulder, grinning smugly. Blaine blushed scarlet and gawped at his boyfriend. Did he seriously just say that?

Burt groaned loudly behind them. "Jesus, don't remind me," he muttered, as Carole chuckled next to him and patted his shoulder sympathetically.

Kurt laughed as he pulled Blaine into his bedroom. Blaine immediately settled on Kurt's bed, and Kurt curled up beside him and kissed him sweetly.

"You sure know how to push your luck," Blaine mumbled, pulling back to look his boyfriend in the eyes.

"This may seem traumatic now, but it's actually kind of funny when you think about it," Kurt said with a giggle. "It will be an excellent story to tell the kids someday."

Blaine raised his eyebrows. "Kids, aye?"

"Don't get too excited, I said _someday," _Kurt said, rolling his eyes. "In the distant future. When we're rich and have been legally married for at least a year."

Blaine laughed lightly, playing with Kurt's hair. "Do you think your dad would say yes if I asked for permission to marry you?"

"Are you kidding? Did you see him today? He walked in on us _naked _together, and he still ended up hugging you. He's going to be calling you his son in no time."

"I'd be lucky," Blaine said, his voice tinged with sadness. "At least then I'd have a dad who actually cares."

Kurt snuggled closer to Blaine, nuzzling his neck and kissing it softly. "Don't give up hope on your dad just yet," he whispered. "He may surprise you."

"Yeah," Blaine said, his voice flat and doubtful. "Maybe."

"In the meantime, you still have me. Have I mentioned that I love you, Blaine?"

Blaine looked down at his boyfriend curled against his chest, and kissed the top of his head. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"I ask myself the same thing every day."

* * *

><p>When everybody sat down to lunch at the Hudson-Hummel home, Kurt and Blaine were surprised by the lack of awkwardness around the table. Blaine found himself laughing loudly at Burt's jokes on multiple occasions. About halfway through the meal, Finn arrived home from Puck's house, sitting in the seat on Blaine's left and promptly stuffing his mouth full of French fries before he noticed Blaine's presence.<p>

"Oh, 'ello," he said through his mouthful of food. "Blaine, righ'? Not to be rude, ba what're you doin' 'ere?"

"Finn!" Kurt cried, wrinkling his nose in disgust, "how many times do I have to tell you not to talk with your mouth full?"

"Sorry," Finn said once he swallowed his food.

"Finn, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend," Kurt said, smiling at Blaine.

Finn blinked back at his stepbrother for a few seconds, a puzzled frown on his face, before he suddenly clicked.

"Oh my god!" He exclaimed, turning to Blaine with his mouth open in surprise. "You two are…?"

"Yup," Blaine said, grinning.

"You're _gay?"_

Blaine laughed. "Definitely."

"But…but you're a mechanic."

"Finn!" Kurt snapped. "That's offensive! Stop stereotyping! I work in the garage too, you know."

"Yeah, but dude, that's like, the only manly thing you do."

"Finn Hudson, sometimes I just want to punch you in the face."

"Why? What did I say?"

"Finn," Blaine interjected, "I am no less gay than Kurt. The only criterion for being gay is liking men. Gay men are not necessarily more feminine in their behaviour and interests than straight men."

"Oh…" Finn said, looking embarrassed. "Sorry, dude."

"That's okay," Blaine responded with a shrug.

Finn turned to Kurt. "Kurt, I'm sorry for saying that you're not manly."

Kurt regarded his brother for a moment before deciding to let this one slide. "Apology accepted."

Finn grinned, turning back to Blaine. "So, do you go to McKinley? I haven't seen you around."

"No, I go to Dalton Academy. I board there during the week. It's an all-boys school in Westerville."

Finn frowned slightly. "But that's like, two hours away. How do you and Kurt ever see each other? If you're at Dalton all week, and working when you're here…"

Kurt sighed sadly. "It's hard," he said, "But we'll make it work."

The boys went back to their food, the mood at the table suddenly more solemn than before. Burt regarded the boys carefully. "Maybe we could come up with some sort of arrangement," he said. Kurt and Blaine looked up at him.

"Blaine, you've learned a lot over the last two months. You know pretty much all you need to know about the cars, and if you do happen to have any trouble, Kurt has years of experience under his belt. I think it may be time to unofficially promote Blaine from mechanic's assistant to actual mechanic – which will mean a pay rise, of course."

Blaine grinned excitedly. "Really? Thank you, Burt! Thank you so much!"

"Calm down kid, I'm not done yet," Burt said, chuckling lightly. "I was thinking that if you two were willing, you could both work all day Saturday, and that could be my day off. The thing is, Sundays are usually pretty quiet, which I'm guessing is why you boys cunningly decided to work – or rather, not work - together on that day."

Blaine and Kurt blushed, glancing at each other briefly and trying unsuccessfully to suppress their smiles.

"Anyway, Sunday mornings are the busiest, so I was thinking that you, Blaine, could just come in and help me out until lunchtime, and then you and Kurt can go and hang out or whatever for the rest of the day. With the pay rise, you'll still end up makin' the same amount of money, but with less hours."

Kurt stared at his dad, dumbfounded. "Really, dad?" He asked, excitement bubbling in his stomach. "You would do that for us?"

Burt nodded. "It's hard enough being in a relationship. It's even worse when you barely get time to just be together and enjoy each other's company."

"Thank you," Blaine said softly, a lump rising in his throat. "Thank you so much."

"God, don't you kids start crying again! There have been more than enough tears for one day."

Kurt and Blaine laughed, and turned to look at each other, wide smiles on their faces. Kurt clasped Blaine's hand under the table.

Yes, everything was going to be just fine.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Burt Hummel is perfect.**

**Also, have I mentioned that you guys are the best? I love you all, thank you so much for sticking with this story! Your reviews have been amazing. **

**Chapter 11 will be up within a week :)**

**xox**


	11. Chapter 11

**Road To Love: Chapter 11**

* * *

><p>Kurt pulled open his locker, smiling brightly at the pictures of him and Blaine taped to the inside.<p>

Ever since his dad had found out about Blaine 3 weeks ago, Kurt had been a lot happier. He still didn't see Blaine as much as he would have liked, although they certainly had a little more time to spend together. The main benefit of Burt finally knowing about Kurt and Blaine was that Kurt didn't have a nagging guilt following him everywhere he went.

Kurt was extremely excited about the mid-semester break that was coming up in a few days. He and Blaine would both have two weeks off school, and they would be able to see each other almost every day.

Kurt smirked to himself. He had a feeling these holidays were going to be amazing. As he shut his locker, his cellphone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out as he walked down the hall, to see that he had a new text from Blaine.

From: Blaine

_Warblers practice sucks. Wes has a disturbing relationship with his gavel. Wish you were here_ -_ I can't stop thinking about you._ Xox

Kurt smiled so widely he thought his face might split in two. This was just one of the reasons he loved Blaine so much – he always said these things that made Kurt feel so special and wanted. It was a feeling he wasn't really used to and one that he was sure he would never get sick of.

As he grinned down at his phone, he was suddenly met with a huge, strong body, slamming him backwards into a row of lockers. Kurt's back clanged against the hard metal, and he winced. He saw Karofsky turn to glare at him, challenging him with his eyes, before sauntering off down the hall.

Kurt found himself suddenly overwhelmed with a bout of intense rage. Karofsky's attacks, insults and slushies had become more and more frequent over the last few months. And, for some reason, it seemed to be only him who was being targeted, not the other Glee club members as well. Kurt was sick of it. He was sick of being bullied and victimised. He was sick of the fact that when he was in school, every time he smiled, Karofsky would give him a reason not to. He felt a sudden rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins, and he took a deep breath before running after Karofsky.

"HEY!" He cried angrily, as he followed the boy into a locker room at the side of the hall.

* * *

><p>Jacob Ben Israel quickly snuck into the boy's locker room, a large bag of adult diapers in his hand.<p>

He snickered to himself quietly, heading behind the first row of lockers towards the second row, to locker 215 – which belonged to Sam Evans. He had the combination memorized, of course – he knew the combination to nearly everybody's locker. That was one of the bonuses of being McKinley High's gossip guru.

He quickly opened the locker and planted the bag of diapers, placing it so that it would fall out as soon as the locker was re-opened. He pushed his glasses up his nose and smirked to himself. Once Sam Evans got out of gym class, he would have a nice surprise waiting for him, and Jacob would have several witnesses to back up this new piece of fantastic gossip: Sam Evans wears adult diapers. Jacob cackled maniacally at the thought of what his girlfriend Quinn Fabray would think of that – especially since she was clearly only dating Sam to climb McKinley High's social ladder.

As he slung his backpack over his shoulder and turned to leave, Jacob heard the door of the locker room slam open, and he dropped to the floor quickly, hiding behind the first row of lockers.

"I AM TALKING TO YOU!" A high-pitched male voice shouted angrily.

Jacob recognised the voice immediately – it belonged to McKinley's token gay kid, Kurt Hummel. For a second Jacob thought that Kurt had spotted him and had come to defend Sam, since they were in Glee club together, but then another voice spoke up and he realised that Kurt was not alone.

"Girl's locker room's next door."

Jacob recognised the voice of David Karofsky, the worst of the McKinley High bullies. Kurt Hummel was his biggest victim, and excitement bubbled in Jacob's chest at the realisation that a confrontation was about to take place, and he would be here to witness it.

He quickly fumbled in his bag, trying to be as quiet as possible, but it wasn't really necessary as the sound of the two boys arguing heatedly drowned out the sound of his shuffling. He located his video camera in the bag, turned it on, and peeked out from behind the row of lockers. From his spot on the floor he had a clear shot of Karofsky and Kurt, but it was unlikely that they would see him, as they seemed far too caught up in their argument to notice anything much around them.

Jacob listened to the argument with rapt attention as it escalated.

Karofsky had his fist raised, but Kurt wasn't backing down.

"You gonna hit me?" He asked, glancing down at Karofsky's fist. "Do it!"

"Don't push me!"

"Hit me, because it's not going to change who I am. You can't punch the gay out of me any more than I can punch the ignoramus out of you!"

Jacob raised his eyebrows in surprise and admiration. He had to hand it to Hummel, the kid had serious guts. Karofsky was much bigger than Kurt, and he looked absolutely furious as he shouted back, clearly very close to snapping and losing his temper. Jacob hoped that he didn't – he didn't want to see another student get beaten to a pulp right in front of him, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to help. Or, rather, he would be too scared to step in if things got violent – it wasn't his responsibility, anyway. He just hoped that Hummel knew well enough to quit while he was ahead.

"GET OUT OF MY FACE!" Karofsky roared. Kurt fearessly brought up a finger and pointed it right in the other boy's face, his expression fixed with determination and fury. He wasn't backing down.

"You are nothing but a scared little boy who can't handle how extraordinarily ordinary you are!"

Karofsky lunged forwards, and Jacob winced, but the attack that he expected didn't come - at least, not in the way that he had anticipated.

Karofsky kissed Kurt. There was no denying it – he grabbed the boy's face with both hands, and pressed his lips up against his. The kiss was not tender and gentle, it was desperate and rough. Jacob clapped a hand over his mouth to muffle his gasp, and quickly double-checked to ensure that his camera was still recording.

After a few short seconds, Karofsky pulled away. Kurt looked horrified. He stood with his mouth slightly open, gaping at Karofsky. The larger boy lunged forwards again, but this time Kurt quickly pressed a hand to the boy's chest and pushed him away forcefully, letting out a scared whimper and he took a step back and brought a hand to his own mouth. Karofsky looked at Kurt with a conflicted expression on his face before slamming his hands into the locker next to him, letting out a cry of frustration. He then bolted from the room.

Jacob watched with bated breath as Kurt stood right where he was for a couple of minutes, breathing heavily and trembling. He still had a hand to his mouth, and he looked like he was about to cry. When he finally seemed to recover, he trudged from the room, and Jacob breathed a sigh of relief, switching off his video camera.

He knew what he had to do. Karofsky was well-known as being the biggest bully at the school, and he had slushied Jacob more times than he could count. Jacob wouldn't have any reason to fear him anymore once this got out. He had absolutely no moral qualms with dragging the bully's reputation through the dirt. He felt a little bad about Kurt, but he figured that everyone already knew he was gay anyway, so what did it matter? Besides, it was pretty clear from the video that Karofsky had initiated the kiss, and Kurt had pushed him away.

Jacob looked both ways before hastily exiting the locker room, making sure that neither Karofsky nor Kurt were anywhere in sight. As he walked down the hall, he couldn't seem to stop himself from smirking with a sick sense of pleasure. David Karofsky, he thought, today is the day that the tormentor becomes the tormentee. This news was going to turn the school upside-down.

* * *

><p>The morning after his confrontation with Karofsky, Kurt arrived at school filled with nervous jitters, and sat in his parked car for a moment before going inside.<p>

His first instinct when he had arrived home the previous day had been to call Blaine and tell him everything, but that would have meant confessing to the bullying that he had been keeping secret, and he just didn't want Blaine to have to deal with that. Blaine had enough on his own plate, what with his dad and the Warblers and his often ridiculous workload. He didn't have to worry about Kurt too, especially when there wasn't really anything he could do to help.

Kurt decided that the best thing to do would be to keep everything to himself for now, and find a way to talk to Karofsky. It went completely against his better judgement, but he felt bad for the boy, and he wanted to help. Even though he had been tormented and abused by him for years, he now knew why. Karofsky was gay, and he was in the closet, and that was not an easy situation to be in. Kurt had the potential to ruin Karofsky completely, but he didn't want to do that, not even a little bit. He didn't believe in outing people.

With a sigh, Kurt got out of his car and walked through the front doors of the school. Immediately, he knew that something was wrong. As soon as he walked in and headed to his locker, the entire hallway filled with students turned to look at him, and began whispering. Kurt looked around in bewilderment. Suddenly, Mercedes and Rachel came flying down the hall towards him, panting breathlessly.

"There you are!" Rachel gasped, skidding to a halt in front of Kurt. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Have you seen it yet?" Mercedes asked, looking concerned.

Kurt was completely perplexed. "Seen what?"

Rachel shoved her iPhone under his nose. There was a video on the screen. She hit play, and Kurt's mouth dropped open in horror.

"No," he gasped, as he heard his furious voice ringing out from the phone. The video was being filmed from the floor behind Karofsky, and the camera was slightly wobbly, but it had a clear shot of both of the boys. Then Karofsky grabbed Kurt, and kissed him, and Kurt heard the person wielding the camera gasp. There was no denying it – it was there, clear as day. And then Karofsky was lunging again, and Kurt was pushing him away, and Karofsky was running from the room. The camera zoomed in on Kurt's terrified, horror-stricken face for a moment, before the video ended.

"Where did you get that?" Kurt asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Jacob Ben Israel posted it on his blog last night!" Rachel cried. "Everyone knows, and – Kurt – you have to get out of here. I saw Azimio and some of the other footballers earlier, and they looked furious."

"At me? Why? Rachel, you saw what happened on that video –he kissed me!"

But before Rachel could respond, a huge body slammed into Kurt, hard, and he landed sprawled on the floor. He looked up to see Azimio and four other large letterman-jacket-clad boys towering over him.

"Leave him alone!" Mercedes yelled, but the boys ignored her.

Azimio grabbed Kurt by the front of his jacket and yanked him to his feet roughly.

"You disgusting fag," he snarled, and Kurt could feel flecks of spit hitting his face.

"You just go around infecting people with your gay? Huh? Is that what you did, homo? Nobody's safe in this school, not even Karofsky!"

Kurt shoved Azimio off him roughly, surprised when he actually let go. "You can't infect people with gay, Azimio," Kurt spat. "It's horrible, ignorant people like you, who call yourselves his friends, that made him feel like he would never be able to be himself at this school!"

Azimio gaped at Kurt, seemingly at a loss as to what to say. "Karofsky isn't a fag like you," he said finally, his voice low. "He doesn't prance around in girl clothes singing gay songs and listening to Lady Gaga. We have been friends for years. He's not gay. You did something to him, Hummel. And you're going to pay for it."

With that, Azimio turned on his heel and stormed off down the hall, his friends following in his wake. Kurt drew in a shuddering breath, and turned to Rachel and Mercedes, who had been standing nearby poised to intervene if necessary.

"Do you know if Karofsky's at school yet?" Kurt asked.

"No, he's not, he's always la-" Mercedes said, but Kurt had already torn off down the hall before she could finish her sentence.

He ran outside into the carpark, letting out a sob. He wanted to call Karofsky and warn him, but he didn't have his number. He didn't know what to do, so he called the only person who he thought may be able to comfort him in this situation – Blaine.

Blaine picked up almost immediately.

"Hey babe, what's up? I've missed you this week."

Kurt let out another involuntary sob.

"Kurt? Oh my god, Kurt, what's wrong?"

"Can you come to my house?" He asked, his voice low.

"Kurt, are you hurt? Please, you're freaking me out here."

"No…no, Blaine, I'm not hurt. I'm fine, just…I need to talk to you."

"I'm leaving right now. I'll be there in about 2 hours. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Blaine. Thank you."

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye."

Kurt hung up, and walked over to his car. He decided to wait for Karofsky to arrive – he probably had no idea about the video yet, and Kurt knew that if he walked into school, things would not turn out well.

Karofsky arrived about 15 minutes later. He pulled up in his big red pick-up truck, and Kurt quickly clambered out of his car and ran up to the boy before he could get inside the school.

"DAVID!" He cried, and Karofsky spun around, narrowing his eyes when he saw him.

"What the fuck do you want, Hummel?" He snarled.

"We need to talk," Kurt said, trying to figure out how to break the news without giving the other boy a heart attack or ending up with a black eye. "It's about what happened yesterday."

Karofsky glanced around furtively, before taking a step forwards. "There's nothing to talk about," he hissed. "Nothing happened, do you hear me, Hummel? And if you tell anyone that something did happen, I'll kill you."

Kurt breathed in sharply. He hoped that that was an empty threat, because if Karofsky decided to shoot the messenger, he would be screwed. There was nobody around to help him if things got ugly. He braced himself before uttering the next words that really, really did not want to have to say. "It's too late," he said, his voice soft. "Everyone already knows."

Karofsky's eyes immediately filled with panic.

"It wasn't me, David, I swear I didn't say a word. Somebody was hiding in the locker room with a video camera, and they filmed the whole thing and it wound up on Jacob Ben Israel's blog. It spread around the school. I'm so sorry."

Karofsky's hands were shaking. Kurt didn't know what he should do next.

"David…?" He asked tentatively.

The boy suddenly turned away from Kurt, doubled over, and vomited all over the ground. Kurt turned away, but he could hear the sounds of dry-retching for several minutes before Karofsky managed to compose himself. When he and Kurt turned around to face each other again, there were tears in Karofsky's eyes.

"What do I do?" He whispered, and Kurt felt his stomach clench painfully at the fear in the boy's trembling voice. "Please, Kurt, you have to help me. Please, tell them that you kissed me, everyone already knows that you're…please! I'm not ready, I can't…"

Kurt would have done it, if he could. He would have lied for Karofsky, to protect the boy from being outed before he was ready, but it wouldn't work. The video was clear. It was obvious who kissed who.

When he told Karofsky this, the boy let out a strangled sob. Kurt was at a loss – he had no idea what to say to make it better.

"Come with me," he said finally, and Karofsky looked up at him.

"What?"

"Come with me. We're going back to my house to talk. You can't be at school right now and I'm not letting you drive yourself anywhere in this state."

Karofsky looked like he wanted to argue for a moment, but he just nodded resignedly and followed Kurt to his car, sobbing brokenly.

* * *

><p>When they arrived at Kurt's house, they sat on the couch in silence. Kurt headed to the kitchen to get Karofksy a can of coke, but on second thought, grabbed one of his dad's beers instead.<p>

Karofsky didn't stop sobbing for a very long time.

When he finally seemed to calm down, he just stared into space, his face blank. Kurt was sitting on the far end of the couch awkwardly, sure that anything he might say would just make things first.

In the end, it was Karofsky who spoke first.

"Why do you call me David?" He asked.

Kurt blinked in surprise, and shrugged. "That's your name, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but everyone at school just calls me Karofsky."

"Is…is that what you'd like me to call you?"

"No!" He said quickly, then blushed at how quickly he had answered. "I mean…I don't like it when people call me by my last name. It's like they don't see me as a real person. But…could you call me Dave? David is what my dad calls me."

Kurt smiled at the boy, even though Dave was refusing to meet his eye. "Dave it is, then."

There was a knock on the door. Dave jumped and looked at Kurt with a scared expression on his face, as if he was sure that whoever was knocking was there to kill him.

"It's ok," Kurt said reassuringly. "It's probably just Blaine."

"Who's Blaine?"

"My boyfriend."

"WHAT?" Suddenly Dave was on his feet, his face panic-stricken.

"Relax," Kurt said. "You can trust him."

Kurt pulled open the front door, and suddenly found himself wrapped tight in Blaine's arms. Kurt breathed in deeply, Blaine's usual scent of coffee, cinnamon and chocolate filling his nostrils.

Kurt pulled back and kissed his boyfriend quickly on the lips.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked, his voice filled with concern. "I was so worried."

Kurt sighed sadly. "Come to my room with me, I'll explain."

As Kurt lead Blaine through the living room, he caught sight of Dave sitting on the couch, staring at Blaine with an expression that was both nervous and suspicious. Blaine raised an eyebrow at Kurt questioningly.

"Dave, this is Blaine. Blaine, this is Dave, he goes to McKinley with me."

"Hi," Blaine said, and Dave nodded stiffly in response.

"Come on," Kurt said, pulling Blaine in the direction of his bedroom.

Once they were comfortably seated on Kurt's bed, he turned to Blaine and explained everything, from the bullying that he had been keeping secret, to the kiss and the video.

He watched as his boyfriend's expression went from furious (Kurt had to physically hold him back from charging out of the room to attack Dave), to shocked, to pitying. At the end, Kurt breathed a huge sigh of relief now that everything was out in the open.

"He can't go back there, to McKinley," Kurt said simply. "I don't think I can either, at least not until this all blows over."

Blaine nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't want you to."

"Maybe after mid-semester break."

"Maybe."

"Is it safe for me to take you back into the living room now?" Kurt asked, worriedly.

Blaine's eyes narrowed. "Kurt, this guy bullied you for years. He tormented you, mocked you, pushed you around. Then he kissed you against your will. I don't like him."

Kurt nodded. "I don't particularly like him either, but I feel sorry for him. All I've seen today is a scared boy who doesn't know what to do. It might not be too late for him."

Blaine deliberated for a moment. Then he reached out his arms towards Kurt. Kurt raised his eyebrows before moving forward so Blaine could pull him into his lap and twine his arms around his waist, nuzzling his neck. "This is why I love you so much," he mumbled. "You have the most beautiful heart I've ever seen."

Kurt cupped his boyfriend's face and pulled him into a slow, deep kiss. When they parted, Blaine was smiling slightly. "If you want to help him, I will support you," he said. "Just don't expect me to be buddies with him."

* * *

><p>Five minutes later and Kurt, Blaine and Dave were all seated in the living room. An awkward silence filled the room. Kurt coughed loudly.<p>

"So, Dave, is there umm…anything that you want to talk about?"

Dave shook his head stiffly.

"Kurt told me what you did," Blaine said, and Dave looked up quickly. Kurt could tell that he wanted to deny it, but there was no point. There was proof now. Solid, tangible evidence that Dave Karofsky had kissed Kurt Hummel.

Dave leaned forward and buried his face in his hands, choosing not to respond. Blaine decided to keep talking.

"It seems like you might be a little confused, and that's totally normal. This is a very hard thing to come to terms with, and you should just know that you're not alone."

At this, Dave looked up, and Kurt was shocked to see that he looked angry. "You don't get it!" He yelled. "Everyone knows. I can't even admit it to myself, that I'm…you know! And now it's all over the school, and my dad is going to find out, and…"

Dave turned to Kurt, and glared at him. "We can't all be lucky like you, Hummel! You have a dad who will always have your back, no matter what. You go to school in your gay clothes and you join Glee club and you hang pictures of your boyfriend in your locker, and you get slushied and bullied but you still walk down the halls like you own them! I wish I had that kind of strength, but I don't. I wish I could just…not care what everyone else thought, but I do. And it doesn't matter if I'm 'not alone', or whatever, because there may be kids all over the world going through the same things as I am, but this is my life, and it's the only life I know, and it sucks!"

Kurt was, once again, lost for words. He didn't know what to say, because the boy had a point.

"Look, forget it," Dave snarled, standing up and heading for the door. "I'm going home."

"But your car's still at the school…" Kurt protested.

"I'll walk," Dave said. "It's not far."

As he yanked open the front door, Blaine jumped from his seat and rushed to grab the boy's sleeve. Dave glared down at him.

"I go to Dalton Academy," Blaine said. "It's pricey, but it has a zero-tolerance bullying policy which is actually enforced. Nobody would judge you there, and they actually have a pretty good football team. Just…think about it."

Dave regarded Blaine for a moment before nodding stiffly, and he left the house, slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So this chapter was a little angst-heavy and kinda hard to write...I hope I did ok. I have a bit of a soft spot for Dave and this is not the last you'll see of him. I always felt like the show could (and should) have explored his story more deeply.**

**xox - Karishma**


	12. Chapter 12

**Road To Love: Chapter 12**

* * *

><p>After Dave left the Hummel-Hudson house, Blaine wanted to stay with Kurt, but Kurt insisted that he get back to Dalton. He reluctantly left after kissing Kurt deeply and promising that he would see him again soon.<p>

Kurt spent the rest of the afternoon in front of the television, watching Dr Phil. He hoped there would be a feature on how to help your closeted ex-bully accept himself after being publically outed, but unfortunately, he had no such luck.

Burt got back from the garage at around 4pm and he immediately knew that something was wrong when he saw Kurt sprawled across the living room couch, forehead creased with worry lines. Kurt decided to tell his dad everything – he was done keeping secrets.

Burt reacted in much the same way that Blaine had – his emotions transformed from fury, to disbelief, to pity. Once Kurt had finished explaining everything, Burt shuffled closer on the couch and pulled his son into a tight hug.

"Kurt, you don't owe this kid anything, ya hear me? I know you. You'll find a way to turn him into your responsibility, or even to blame yourself for what happened. But this isn't your fault, it's his. He bullied you, and he forced a kiss on you and got caught out, and now he's too chicken to face up to what he did."

Kurt shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. "No, dad, it's not that simple. I don't blame myself, I know it's not my fault, but it's complicated. You saw how upset Blaine was on the day that you found out about us. It kills him that dad doesn't accept him…Dave has built his _entire life _around people who wouldn't accept him, so it's even harder for him, facing up to this."

Burt sighed and rubbed Kurt's back soothingly. "You're too good for your own good, you know that?"

Kurt smiled despite his tear-filled eyes.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, the Hummel-Hudson family were seated around the dining table for dinner and Finn was shooting Kurt furtive glances. Kurt was beginning to get increasingly annoyed, and he eventually slammed his glass down on the table a little louder than necessary, startling everybody.<p>

"What is it, Finn?"

Finn swallowed nervously. "Dude…is Karofsky really gay? Did he kiss you?"

Kurt sighed. "Yes, Finn, he did kiss me, as you well know. Even the best editors couldn't fake what you saw in that video. And it is none of your business whether or not he is gay. Just…stay out of it. Please. The less you talk about it, the easier it will be for me when I go back to school."

Burt looked up from his dinner plate, his expression grim. "Kurt, there is no way that you are going back to that school."

Kurt turned to his dad in surprise. "I didn't mean this week, dad. But the mid-semester break starts in two days, so I won't be missing much, and I'm hoping everything will have blown over by the time we go back."

Burt shook his head stiffly. "I'm not taking that chance. Those friends of that Dave kid…they sound like trouble. They harassed you even before this whole video thing came about, so it'll be a hundred times worse now. Carole and I have talked it over, and…we think you should transfer to Dalton."

Kurt's jaw dropped. "Dad, no, Dalton is so expensive, you can't afford-"

Burt waved him off before he could finish his sentence. "Carole and I haven't taken our honeymoon yet. We had quite a bit of money saved for a long trip to Europe, but we've decided we'd be quite happy just to take a week or so relaxing on a beach in Fiji. We can afford to pay for at least a year at Dalton with the amount of money we'll save."

Kurt shook his head. "No, dad, that money was for your honeymoon! You deserve to take your Europe trip."

"And we will, just a little later than we'd planned."

"I can't ask you to do this."

"You're not asking, I'm offering. In fact, I'm _insisting. _I don't want you back there. A trip is just a trip. You're my son. You're the most important thing to me."

Kurt felt his eyes well up with tears once again, and turned to Carole. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Carole? I know how much you wanted to see Paris."

Carole reached across the table and took Kurt's hand in hers, smiling sweetly and genuinely. "Of course I'm sure, sweetheart," she said. "I can think of no better use for that money. And besides," she added, with a smirk and a wink, "you'll get to see Blaine _every day_."

Kurt smiled hesitantly despite himself. "So I'm really doing this? I'm going to Dalton?"

Burt grinned triumphantly. "You bet you are."

Kurt let out a joyous laugh, and sprang to his feet, bending over behind Carole in her seat to squeeze her shoulders in a hug and kiss her cheek. He then ran to do the same to his dad, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, I see how it is, kid," he teased. "You deny my offer until you're reminded that Blaine will be there, and suddenly you're ecstatic."

Kurt blushed slightly, before his eyes widened and he sprinted towards his bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Burt called after him.

"I have to call Blaine and tell him the news!" Kurt shouted over his shoulder.

As soon as he was in his room, Kurt grabbed his cellphone from the bedside table and flung himself onto the bed, hitting speed-dial. Blaine picked up almost immediately.

"Hey, Kurt, I was just about to call you! How are you? Is everything okay?"

Kurt heard a voice in the background that sounded like David. _"Hey, is that Kurt? Tell him I miss him!"_

Kurt grinned from ear to ear. "Everything's fine, Blaine - more than fine, actually. Is David with you?"

"Yeah, and the rest of the guys. Why?"

"Can you put me on speaker?"

"Yeah sure, hold on." Kurt heard a soft click, and then a chorus of male voiced filled his ears.

"_HI KURT!"_

Kurt giggled into the phone. "Hi, guys! I have some news for all of you!"

"_Are you pregnant?"_ David quipped, which was quickly followed by a loud _"Ow! Blaine, that was uncalled for!"_

Kurt chuckled. "Not quite," he said. "I'm coming to Dalton."

"_WHAT?"_

"I'm transferring to Dalton after the break!"

At this, Kurt heard a loud, excited, sound that could only be described as a cross between a high-pitched squawk and a squeal. It was followed by a thunderous roar of laughter from the other boys in the room.

"_Oh my god, Blaine, what was that SOUND?"_ Jeff cried.

"_It sounded like someone just grabbed your nads and pulled!"_ David gasped, and Kurt could hear him wheezing as he struggled to regain his breath.

Kurt grabbed a pillow from his bed and shoved his face into it, struggling to muffle his giggles.

"Shut up!" Blaine yelled in an affronted tone. The laughter got louder. "That's it, you have all had your Kurt privileges revoked! I am taking you off speakerphone!"

There was a click, and then the laughs and protests of the other boys were muffled as Kurt was taken off speaker.

"Sorry," Blaine mumbled, sounding embarrassed. "I just got a little excited, that's all."

Kurt giggled loudly. "I am now making it my life's mission to get you to make that sound again."

Blaine groaned. "You're just as bad as the rest of them!"

"I know," Kurt sighed teasingly. "Why do you put up with me?"

"Because you put out."

"BLAINE!"

Blaine laughed lightly. "So…you're transferring, huh?" He asked, his voice filled with hope and excitement.

"Yup. What do you think are the chances of us being roommates?"

"Pretty much nil, unfortunately," Blaine responded with a sad sigh. "They don't let couples room together. They figured that if the straight boys aren't allowed to bring girls into their rooms, the gay couples shouldn't be allowed special sex privileges."

Kurt snorted. "We put up with so much shit elsewhere, I think we deserve some sex privileges."

"Tell me about it."

"Who's _your_ roommate?"

"I don't have one right now. My old roommate, James, just graduated."

"Ooh, so you have your room all to yourself, huh?"

"Yup. Will you come and visit me sometimes?"

"…Perhaps, if you're lucky."

"I can't believe this."

"Me neither."

"You're coming to Dalton."

"I am."

"I can kiss you whenever I want."

"I can hold your hand when we walk down the halls."

"I can serenade you in Warblers practice again, and again, and again."

"I can be myself without having to worry about getting slushied or shoved into lockers."

"I can sleep soundly at night, knowing that you're safe."

"I can tell you that I love you every single night."

"You do that anyway."

"Yeah, but now I can look you in the eyes while I say it, and kiss you once you've said it back."

* * *

><p>3 days later, Kurt and Finn were officially on mid-semester break.<p>

They had 3 whole weeks' worth of freedom, and Kurt was excited to spend it with his friends, and most of all, Blaine.

The first weekend, both Kurt and Blaine had to work at the garage, because Burt had changed some hours around during the holidays. Both boys were more than willing to work a little extra, however, with the knowledge that they would have plenty of time to spend together during the week.

After their shifts were over on Sunday, the boys went to check the wall-chart in Burt's office to see when they were scheduled to work the following week. They were both surprised to see that the entire week was left blank.

They headed back to the house to grab an afternoon snack, passing Burt on their way through the lounge. It had become common practice for Blaine to tell his father that he was working later than he actually was, so he could stay behind after work and hang out with Kurt for an hour or two. Usually, this consisted of putting a DVD on in Kurt's room, and _not _watching it.

Once they had their drinks and cookies, Kurt and Blaine went to sit on the couch across from Burt.

"Hey dad, the wall-chart isn't filled in for next week, do you want me to do it?" Kurt asked.

Burt grinned, looking up at his son excitedly. "Nope. I'm closing the shop next week."

Kurt raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Dad, you never close the shop. Like, ever. And holidays are our busiest times."

"Yeah, but Carole and I were browsing online and we found a special deal for cheap tickets to Fiji, so we're taking our honeymoon a little earlier than we'd planned."

Finn, who was seated on the couch in the corner of the room playing Angry Birds on his iPhone, looked up in horror. "We'll be home alone? How will I eat?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I can cook, Finn!"

"Oh," Finn said, grinning dopily. "Cool. You guys have fun in Fiji, then."

Burt chuckled to himself, and turned the page of his newspaper.

Kurt, in a moment of boldness, decided to push his luck yet again. "Can Blaine stay here when you're gone?" He blurted out.

Blaine's head snapped around to stare at Kurt, his jaw dropping. Burt looked at the boys with raised eyebrows. Kurt felt his face heating up under his dad's scrutiny, but after a moment of deliberation, Burt shrugged. "Sure, if you guys can come up with a good enough cover story for Blaine's dad, I don't see why not."

Kurt let out a squeal of excitement, and turned to pull Blaine into an excited hug.

"Hey!" Finn complained, frowning. "If Kurt gets to have Blaine stay here, why can't Rachel stay too?"

"If you can convince her dads to let her stay, then that's fine by me. Although you should check with your mom, it's not really my decision."

"Really? But I thought you said I'm not allowed to have girls sleep over in my room."

"_Girls _is not the same as _Rachel_, Finn. No, you can't just invite any girls to sleep over in your room. But Rachel's your girlfriend. I like her, and I trust you both."

"Oh…well, thanks, Burt."

"Don't mention it, bud. To be honest, I think I'd rather have some other people over here, actually. What if Kurt went out and you nearly set fire to the kitchen again, eh Finn?"

"Hey! Cooking mac and cheese is harder than it looks!"

Kurt and Burt burst out laughing, and Blaine grinned widely at his boyfriend's dad. He never failed to surprise him.

"Are you sure this okay, Mr. Hummel?" He asked.

"For God's sake, kid, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Burt? And yes, it's fine. I know that Kurt could have just had you over anyway without telling me, so I appreciate the fact that he asked for my permission first. All I ask is that you kids – and that includes you, Finn – be respectful of the other members of the house while you're here, stay safe, and clean up after yourselves. I don't want to be coming back to a filthy house filled with empty pizza boxes and dirty dishes."

Blaine smiled and squeezed Kurt's hand. "Of course, Burt. I'll be on my best behaviour."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Burt muttered, raising an eyebrow at Kurt and Blaine. They both blushed scarlet.

"What're you gonna tell your old man though, Blaine?" Burt asked, frowning slightly.

"Oh," Blaine said, waving his hand in the air dismissively, "I'll just tell him I'm going camping with Wes. He won't question it, he loves Wes. But only because Wes acts like a pompous ass when he's around him."

Burt barked out a laugh. "Well, looks like that worked in your favour."

Blaine turned to Kurt, grinning mischievously. "It sure did."

* * *

><p>On the day of Burt and Carole's departure, Blaine had already arrived at the Hudson-Hummel home before they were due to leave for their 12pm flight. Kurt, Blaine and Finn all went to stand on the porch, waiting to bid them goodbye. Carole kissed them all on the cheek, blinking back tears.<p>

"Mom, don't cry!" Finn said, looking panicked. "It's only a week!"

"I know," Carole sniffled, wiping at her eyes, "but I've never been away from you for this long, Finn. I'm going to miss you. I'm going to miss _all _my boys."

"Don't worry, Carole," Blaine said, "you'll forget all about them soon enough." He winked cheekily, and Carole slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Blaine Anderson, you are terrible!" She laughed, as Finn glared daggers at Blaine.

Just then, Burt emerged from the house, lugging both his and Carole's suitcases behind him.

"Right," he huffed, as he stuffed the suitcases into the trunk of the cab. "Let's get this show on the road!"

He quickly hugged Finn and Blaine, but clung on to Kurt for quite a few seconds.

"I'm gonna miss you, kiddo," he sighed, pulling back reluctantly. "Be good. I love you."

"I love you too, dad," Kurt replied, smiling sadly. "Have fun, you guys!"

Burt opened the cab door for Carole, and she beamed brightly at him as she climbed in.

The boys waved at the cab as it departed. Once it was gone they headed to the living room. Finn sat on the floor in front of the TV, and challenged Blaine to a game of Halo, which Blaine accepted, much to Kurt's annoyance.

"Oh, that's how it's going to be, is it?" Kurt complained, hands on his hips. "You two playing video games all week while I bring you beverages and snacks?"

"I'll have a coke," Finn said, and Kurt smacked him upside the head.

Blaine smirked and made his way over to where Kurt was standing, grabbing the front of Kurt's shirt to pull him in close. He wound his hands around his boyfriend's slender waist, and tilted his head to mouth at the soft skin beneath Kurt's ear. "Just one game, babe, I promise," he whispered seductively. "Then we can take advantage of the fact that we're alone, in a big house, for an entire week." Kurt shivered.

"Umm, wrong," Finn piped up behind them. "You seem to have forgotten that I'm here, and I'd rather not listen to you two have sex."

"Shut up, Finn," Kurt snapped, rounding on his brother. "Rachel's coming over later tonight, if I remember correctly."

"Yeah," Finn grumbled. "But she's a bit of a prude. We've never gotten further than second base."

Kurt rolled his eyes, while Blaine attempted to stifle his laughter by burying his face in his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Well, Finn," Kurt said in a disapproving tone, "Perhaps if you tried being romantic instead of attempting to force your hand down her shirt every time you two are alone together, she would be more willing."

Finn looked at Kurt, his eyebrows furrowed in contemplation. "And that works?" He asked, as if the idea of romance was completely foreign to him.

Kurt glared down at the boy. "Oh my god, you are _hopeless_," he said, exasperated. "The first time Blaine and I had sex – actually, the only time, come to think of it...we'll have to change that soon…sorry, I'm getting off track here. As I was saying, the night of our first time, Blaine took me to a beautiful deserted lake on our two-month anniversary. We had a picnic and then we lay in a field of wildflowers to look at the stars. That's where we said 'I love you' for the first time. Then he took me into a beautiful, elaborate pillow fort thing that he had constructed. It was the single romantic thing I have ever seen in my life. My dad walking in on us in the morning was a bit of a mood killer, but until then, it was all amazing."

Finn turned to stare at Blaine, his mouth agape in shock. "Dude," he said finally, "you seriously did that?"

Blaine nodded.

Finn groaned. "I would never be able to do something that cool for Rachel! How do you even come up with that sort of thing?"

"It doesn't have to be _that _dramatic, Finn," Kurt said. "Rachel knows you. She knows romance doesn't exactly come easy to you, so I'm sure she'd appreciate anything you do, as long as she could see that you put in the effort to make it special for her. I'm just lucky, I guess, that I got stuck with a boyfriend who could have come straight out of an old black-and-white romance movie."

Blaine grinned, looking extremely proud of himself. "I always thought I had a certain resemblance to Cary Grant."

"No," Kurt said, "You're George Peppard. That way I get to be Audrey Hepburn."

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about," Finn mumbled. "Blaine, let's play Halo."

Kurt sighed, and placed a lingering kiss to Blaine's lips before heading to the kitchen to get Finn his coke.


	13. Chapter 13

****A/N: **Warning for sex (and drinking). This chapter doesn't really contribute to the plot of the story that much, it's mostly just a fun chapter :)******

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><p><strong>Road To Love: Chapter 13<strong>

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><p>When Kurt had agreed to let Blaine play "just one game" of Halo with Finn, he had been unaware that one game could potentially last longer than 3 hours. Blaine had tried to escape a couple of times, but Finn hadn't allowed him to move, insisting that the game wasn't over yet.<p>

In the meantime, Kurt decided to use the time as an opportunity to make sure that he would be all set for Dalton by the time mid-semester break was over. He bought all his school supplies online, and read up about the history of the school, which did nothing apart from making him more nervous. Kurt was a straight-A student, but the curriculum at Dalton seemed far more challenging, and he wondered if he would actually end up getting to spend any time with Blaine at all.

At around 6pm, Kurt heard Rachel's voice drifting from the living room. Grateful for the distraction, he closed his laptop and headed downstairs. After greeting Rachel with a warm hug he decided to start on dinner, but Finn announced that he already ordered Pizza. Kurt scrunched his nose up in protest. "Finn Hudson, if you honestly think that we will be eating Pizza for dinner every night this week, you can think again."

Finn was too focused on the game to respond, so Kurt and Rachel sat down on the couch together behind their boyfriends, and glared at the backs of their heads in annoyance.

Kurt reached forwards to where Blaine was sitting, and stared tickling his sides mercilessly.

Blaine yelped and jumped, giggles erupting from his throat as he squirmed. "Oh my god, Kurt, stop, I'm going to die!"

Kurt tickled him harder, refusing to relent despite Blaine's pleading.

"Ahhh, crap!" Blaine cried, pouting as he dropped his controller and spun around to pull Kurt into his lap, effectively ending the tickle torture. "Kurt, you killed me!"

Finn glared at Kurt from next to Blaine. "Cheat," he mumbled.

"I'm not playing, so I'm allowed to cheat," Kurt smirked. "Besides, I'm sick of you hogging my boyfriend."

Kurt turned back to Blaine, who was desperately trying to hold back his grin so he could pretend to be put out. Kurt placed a series of quick kisses on his pouting lips, and then Blaine gripped the back of his head and pulled him in for a much deeper kiss. Finn made fake gagging sounds behind them while Rachel giggled.

The doorbell rang, and Finn jumped up to answer the door.

"Pizza's here!" He called as he practically skipped to the door, and Kurt grinned fondly at his childlike excitement, until he heard the sound of several loud voices coming from the direction of the front door.

"What the…?" He mumbled, climbing off Blaine's lap. The boys got to their feet when suddenly, a huge group of people rounded the corner into the living room.

There was a chorus of "KURT! BLAINE!" And suddenly Kurt was being ambushed by Warblers. David, Wes, Nick and Jeff were pulling the boys into a big group hug, blabbering on about how excited they were for Kurt to be joining them next year. Kurt and Blaine just stood there, mouths agape in shock. When the Warblers finally pulled away, Kurt noticed that the entirety of New Directions were also standing in the living room, and Puck and Santana were holding huge coolers. Finn was standing behind the group looking confused and slightly panicked.

"What's going on, guys?" Kurt asked, somewhat afraid of the answer. "What are you all doing here?"

"Dude," Puck said, "you and my boy Finn over here have the whole house to yourselves, and you don't even think of throwing a party? Santana and I had to organise this shindig all by ourselves!"

Kurt glared at Puck. "Our parents trusted us with the house, Puckerman. It's not our responsibility to host your stupid party."

"Oh, come on, man," Puck whined, "We'll clean everything up, and it'll just be us, nobody else is coming! Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Finn, did you have something to do with this?" Kurt asked, rounding on his brother. Finn held up his hands in mock surrender.

"No! I mean I told Puck that we would be here alone, but I didn't know anything about a party, I swear!"

"It was nice of you to invite my Dalton friends," Blaine said, grinning at Santana. "Thanks for that."

Santana smiled back and cocked her head in acknowledgement.

Kurt turned to his boyfriend with an incredulous expression on his face. "Don't encourage this, Blaine!"

Blaine immediately stopped grinning and looked down at his shoes. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Puck hooted with laughter. "Whipped!" He said with a smirk, and Kurt took a step forward and smacked him on the arm.

"Ow!" he yelled, looking put out. "You're stronger than you look, Hummel, geez."

Kurt let out a loud, frustrated sigh, pressing his fingers to his temples. "Fine, fine!" He said with annoyance. "We can have this little…party. But EVERYTHING gets cleaned up and if anything gets damaged, people will be paying. The bedrooms are strictly off-limits to everybody who isn't residing here. Keep the music to a decent volume so we don't get complaints. Also, everybody crashes here afterwards. I don't want anybody drink-driving, in fact, you can all give me your keys right now."

There were whoops and cheers from the room as everybody handed over their keys willingly, and Finn clapped Kurt on the back as he passed. "Thanks, bro," he said, "I owe you one. Puck would've never let me hear the end of it if we'd kicked them all out."

"Just don't make me regret it," he responded with a sigh.

* * *

><p>Two hours and six Pineapple Vodka Cruisers later, and Kurt was having some difficulty making his way back from the bathroom to the living room. The sounds of music and laughter filled his ears, and for some reason he found himself laughing too, although he had no idea what was so funny. He squinted as he tried to locate Blaine, and the world tilted on its axis. He eventually spotted him attempting to dance by the speakers, and Kurt stumbled towards his boyfriend, steadying himself on the couch when he nearly fell flat on his face.<p>

When he reached Blaine's side, he looked up at him with a huge dopey grin. "KURT!" He cried, throwing an arm around his waist. "I've been looking for you, where've you been?"

"Bathroom," Kurt said, and Blaine kissed him sloppily. His breath tasted like beer, but Kurt didn't care, kissing back as best he could, ignoring everyone else in the room. Everything was fuzzy, but kissing Blaine was nice, so he decided to just continue doing that.

But then Rachel loudly suggested that everybody play Spin the Bottle, and so everyone went to sit down in a big circle. The game started off kind of boring – Brittany kissed Sam, after which Santana pulled Brittany to her side possessively. Finn kissed Quinn, which was rather predictable. Things got a little more interesting when it was David's turn and the bottle landed on Wes. Puck asked them if they would like to pass, but David shook his head, a devious smirk on his face.

"Get your cute little tush over here, Wesley!" He called. "I'm gonna kiss you like you've never been kissed before!" Kurt fumbled to pull out his phone and take a picture before it was over, but he needn't have worried, because the kiss lasted a full 10 seconds before Nick pulled the boys apart amid catcalls and whoops.

"You guys are completely off your face, oh my god," Nick giggled, his own speech slurring. "Kurt, did you get a picture?"

"Yup! And I'm never ever deleting it, not ever." Neither David nor Wes seemed too concerned about that, as they were now cuddling on the floor by Nick's feet.

Next up, Puck had to kiss Mike. Kurt thought there was no way he was going to do it, but he did. It was nothing more than a quick peck though, and there were shouts of disappointment from around the circle, in which Blaine and Kurt both participated.

"Calm your tits, pervs," Puck mumbled. "Next!"

It was Rachel's turn, and she landed on Blaine. Kurt laughed out loud as Blaine raised his eyebrows at Rachel.

"Blaine Warbler, I am going to rock your world!" She said, leaning over the circle to grab Blaine's cardigan and pull him into a messy kiss. They pulled apart after a few seconds, and Kurt glared at Blaine. "A peck would have sufficed, Blaine," Kurt said.

Blaine shrugged."I was testing my gayness."

"And what was the outcome?"

"Definitely gay. And I'm pretty much 110% sure that you're the only person I will ever want to kiss, ever. Your lips are scrummy and yummy and you taste like vanilla and honey."

Kurt ruffled Blaine's hair fondly. "You turn into quite the poet when you're drunk."

Blaine grinned, looking proud of himself. "Not too drunk to rhyme," he mumbled.

"You're cute," Kurt said, kissing the tip of Blaine's nose.

"You're sexy," Blaine responded, lowering his voice and wiggling his eyebrows. Kurt laughed out loud.

"Are you trying to seduce me?"

"Yup." With that, Blaine grabbed Kurt and pulled him onto his lap in one quick motion. Kurt let out a surprised squawk, and those sitting around them started laughing. Blaine wasted no time in attaching himself to Kurt's neck, sucking and biting hard enough to leave a hickey.

"Wanky," Santana said with a smirk, but Kurt couldn't really find it in himself to be embarrassed.

"I guess Anderson is one of those horny drunks," Puck said, and Kurt giggled as Blaine nibbled on his ear.

"Okay! NEXT GAME!" Finn yelled in an overly enthusiastic voice, trying to divert attention from Kurt and Blaine who were now heatedly making out. "Let's play truth or dare!"

"Me first!" Puck shouted, pointing at Rachel with a devious look on her face. "Truth or dare, Berry?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to practice your blowjob skills on a banana."

Finn turned to gawp at Rachel, and Santana raised an eyebrow in interest. Even Kurt turned away from Blaine for a moment to see if Rachel (who was, admittedly, quite a prude – at least while sober) would actually do it.

"FINE!" She yelled. "Get me a banana!"

Finn ran to the kitchen and back in record time, a large banana in his hand. Rachel grabbed it from him and brought it to her lips without preamble, quickly getting to work.

The girls in the circle all laughed and cheered Rachel on, while the boys (not including Kurt, Blaine, Nick and Jeff) stared with wide eyes and open mouths. Kurt had to admit, she was doing a much better job than he thought she would, and it helped that she didn't seem to have a gag reflex.

When she put the banana down, everybody clapped loudly, and Finn looked like a five-year-old who had just been surprised with a trip to Disneyland.

"My turn!" David piped up, taking a long swig of vodka. "Kurt, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Kurt mumbled, nuzzling Blaine's neck.

"Chicken," David scoffed. "Okay, fine, truth then…who's the top?"

"Clearly it's Anderson," Puck said, and Kurt glared at him.

"Why, Puck? Are you trying to say that I'm the 'girl' in this relationship?"

"Well, dude, you sort of are."

"There is no 'girl' in a gay relationship! That's sort of the point of it being a GAY RELATIONSHIP."

"I can assure you," Blaine interjected with a sly grin, "that Kurt is _very much _a man." He winked at Kurt cheekily, and Kurt felt a hot coil in his stomach.

With a rush of boldness, he leaned in to whisper in Blaine's ear, in what he hoped was a seductive tone. "What do you say we ditch these guys and escape to my room?"

Blaine nodded enthusiastically, and they quickly stumbled to their feet, holding each other up as they giggled and made their way out of the room. Cat-calls and innuendo's followed them as they left, but they paid them no heed.

Locking the door behind them, the boys stumbled towards the bed, hastily shedding their clothes and laughing as they struggled to get their pants off. Kurt pushed Blaine back onto the bed and straddled his hips, Blaine's hard length pressing against inner thigh. He reached over to grab the lube from the bedside drawer where he had stashed it.

"Do you wanna top this time?" Kurt whispered, rotating his hips slightly to provide just the barest hint of friction. Blaine groaned, and deliberated for a moment before grinning wickedly and shaking his head.

"Not yet," he said, grabbing the bottle of lube and squirting some onto Kurt's fingers.

"Okay," Kurt said, positioning himself between Blaine's legs. "Whatever you want."

He linked his fingers up with Blaine's entrance and pressed in as Blaine let out a low moan. He stretched Blaine more hastily than the first time, both boys feeling a sense of urgency that hadn't been there before. Kurt also found that he wasn't nervous at all this time – whether that was because he had done it before or because of the alcohol, it wasn't sure.

After a couple of minutes, Blaine was a whimpering mess, and was begging Kurt for more than the 3 fingers that were currently buried inside him. Kurt was happy to oblige, quickly slipping on a condom and lubing himself up.

He paused and bit his lip for a moment. "Would you mind…umm…turning over this time? It's fine it you don't want to, I just thought we could try it."

Blaine turned over immediately, getting up so he was on his hands and knees in front of Kurt. Kurt moaned at the sight before positioning himself at Blaine's entrance and pushing in in one fluid motion.

Blaine let out a loud cry, and Kurt gasped, stilling himself inside Blaine. "Shhhh!" He hissed, "they'll hear us!"

Blaine turned his head to the side and smirked up at him. "I know," he said, craning his neck up so Kurt could kiss him. "I wanted to show Puck just how much of a 'girl' you are."

Kurt pulled back slightly, and looked at Blaine with wide eyes. "Oh," he breathed, and leant in to kiss his boyfriend once again. "Well, in that case."

Kurt pushed Blaine's upper back down so that his chest was pressed against the mattress, ass in the air. He grabbed Blaine's arms and pinned them above his head, before pulling almost completely out of Blaine and then thrusting back in, _hard. _Blaine moaned loudly, and Kurt repeated the action, as Blaine continued to cry out with each thrust. Kurt angled his hips upwards slightly, and Blaine arched his back and writhed beneath him. "KURT!" He cried, "Oh, god! Right there!"

Kurt pounded in again and again and again, and Blaine continued to babble and beg at an increasing volume, urging him to go faster and harder and deeper, and _god, _Kurt didn't think he'd ever been this turned on before.

He could feel himself getting close, so he stopped moving for a moment, panting heavily. Blaine let out a needy whine and tried to push his hips back, but Kurt had him pinned him to the mattress, restricting his movement. "Tell me what you want, Blaine," he whispered, his voice coming out low and gravelly. "Tell me."

"I want you to fuck me," Blaine whimpered. "Please."

"Say it louder," Kurt hissed. "I want everyone to know how much you want my cock."

"Oh god, KURT!" Blaine cried, his voice loud and needy. "Please! Please fuck me, I want it, I _need _it so bad, please!"

Kurt obliged, pounding into Blaine mercilessly while Blaine whimpered and moaned and whined beneath him. He grabbed Blaine's legs and pushed them further apart so he could drive in deeper, and Blaine's eyes rolled back in his head. Kurt reached around Blaine to grab his cock and with a few short strokes Blaine was coming with a loud shout. His body spasmed and twitched as he shot all over Kurt's fist, his hole clenching sporadically around Kurt's length. Kurt thrust in a few more times before he was coming too, burying himself deep inside Blaine as he choked out his name, before collapsing next to his boyfriend in a spent heap.

Kurt grabbed a tissue from his bedside table and quickly wiped his hand before throwing the tissue in the general direction of the rubbish bin. He curled up to Blaine side, and Blaine pulled him so his head was resting on his shoulder. They were both panting and sweaty and naked, but too exhausted to get up – Kurt was surprised by just how tiring ten minutes of intense sex could be, and he was quite content just to lie there and revel in the afterglow.

"Fuck," he finally whispered when he regained his breath, and he felt Blaine's chest shake beneath him as he chuckled.

"That was amazing, babe," Blaine whispered, pressing a kiss to Kurt's temple. "I loved seeing that side of you."

"Mmm," Kurt responded, smirking slightly, his eyes closed. "You're quite the screamer, you know that?"

Blaine blushed slightly. "You love it, don't try to deny it. You even told me to be louder."

"Which reminds me, apparently you have an exhibitionism kink."

"Is it exhibitionism if they can only hear you but not see you?"

"Dunno…maybe?"

"Yeah, well. I kind of just wanted to stick it to Puck. That'll teach him to stereotype you."

Kurt giggled, and let out a loud yawn. "God, I'm tired."

"Me too."

"Let's just…sleep. Good night, Blaine. I love you."

"Goodnight, my love. Sweet dreams."

"Aaaaand dapper Blaine is back."

"Shut up."

"Mmm…don't boss me."

"I thought you were going to sleep?"

"Mmm...goodnight."

"Goodnight, beautiful."

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><p>The next morning, Kurt and Blaine woke up intertwined in Kurt's bed. Blaine let out a low groan as he blinked open his eyes, a throbbing headache making him wince. Kurt stirred next to him, nuzzling into his neck for a second as he regained consciousness.<p>

"Ugh," Kurt mumbled as he woke up, "my mouth tastes like I swallowed a bag of cotton balls soaked in Methylated Spirits. I could drink an entire lake right now."

"My head is killing me," Blaine said, his voice raspy.

"I'll get you some aspirin and water, hang on," Kurt mumbled, clambering out of the bed and into the bathroom, returning two minutes later clad in a pair of silk pyjamas, with the painkillers and two large bottles of water in hand.

"How do you feel?" Blaine asked, blinking at Kurt from the bed, trying to shelter his eyes from the sunlight filtering in from the crack between Kurt's curtains.

"Not too bad, actually," Kurt responded. "Thirsty…kind of generally icky, like I need a long shower and some coffee, and I'm trembling a little for some reason. No headache or nausea, thankfully. Here, take your aspirin, and drink all the water even if you don't feel like it," he said, handing Blaine the pills and the water.

Kurt settled back down in the bed next to his boyfriend and chugged down his water, sighing in contentment once he had drained the bottle.

Once he could think about something other than how thirsty he was, all the memories from the previous night came rushing back– or at least, the part where he and Blaine had had very loud sex, with all their friends sitting in the living room just down the hall. Kurt's eyes widened in horror, and his jaw dropped as he turned to look at Blaine, who was still covering his eyes with one of his hands.

"Oh my god, Blaine!" Kurt cried, his voice high-pitched and panicked. "Oh my god, did we seriously do that? Did we seriously…oh my GOD. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. I have never been so humiliated, at what point did I think that was a good idea? Alcohol is evil! I am never drinking it again, it turns me into a sex fiend!"

"Kurt," Blaine croaked, uncovering his eyes to reach over and clasp his boyfriend's hand reassuringly, "Don't worry about it. We were drunk. It was my idea, not yours."

"I'm the one who brought you in here! And I went along with it! I am never going to hear the end of this, oh my god, this is horrible."

"The sex was fantastic, though."

"BLAINE! Now is not the time! I am mortified right now. I want to crawl into a hole and die."

"Look, babe, alcohol weakens your inhibitions. It loosens you up, hence making you less ashamed of things like sex and less weary of consequences. _Everybody _does embarrassing things when they're drunk, don't beat yourself up about it."

Kurt let out a loud huff, and took a deep breath. "Ok…" He said, "What happened between the time when Puck threw that piece of pizza at Finn and when we left the living room? 'Cos my memory is really fuzzy…"

"Ummm…" Blaine mumbled, scrunching up his face in concentration, "we danced…Santana was crying for some reason, Quinn and Lauren were yelling at Puck…Some of us sang, I think…Brittany was stripping at one point, and I clearly remember Santana doing a body shot off her."

"Yeah, I remember now," Kurt mumbled. "Then didn't Rachel suggest that we play spin the bottle?"

"Yeah," Blaine said. "Which reminds me, if it makes you feel any better, Wes and David totally made out and you still have a picture of that on your phone."

"That does make me feel a little better, actually."

"I kissed Rachel for a few seconds."

"I remember. It was gross."

Blaine chuckled slightly, reaching out to pull Kurt closer to his body. Kurt snuggled up to his side willingly.

"Do you remember what happened after that?" Blaine asked.

"Sort of…truth or dare, right?"

Blaine nodded.

Kurt's eyes suddenly widened, and his face broke into a wide, smug grin. "Rachel fellated a banana."

Blaine let out a loud belly laugh, and stroked Kurt's hair lovingly.

"Yup," he said. "Told you we all do stupid things while drunk."

"Ok, I definitely feel better now," Kurt said, pressing a kiss to Blaine's chest. "I mean, we got our point across, right?"

"Exactly. If anything, people will be impressed, and jealous of our amazing sex life."

Kurt giggled and got out of bed, making his way to the window to open his curtains. When sunlight filled the room, Blaine whined his protest and pulled the blanket up to cover his face.

"Oops, sorry," Kurt said, grabbing a pair of Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses for Blaine to wear. "C'mon, let's go have breakfast. You'll feel better once you have some food and strong coffee in you."

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><p>Heading out into the living room, Kurt had steeled himself for the teasing and lewd comments he was sure were coming, but he was surprised to see that everybody was too busy groaning pitifully and clutching either their heads or their stomachs to even notice his and Blaine's presence. Looking at the state of them all, Kurt was even more grateful for his apparent immunity to hangovers.<p>

Finn and Rachel appeared to have retreated to Finn's room, the Warblers were all squished up together on the pull-out couch, and everybody else was curled up on the floor on old foam mattresses and sleeping bags that they must have pulled out of the attic.

The house was a pigsty. Empty bottles, pizza boxes and random items of clothing lay strewn across the floor, and Kurt didn't even want to know how a pink polka-dot bra had wound up hanging from the ceiling fan.

Feeling a little bit bad about what he was going to do next, Kurt set about making several pots of strong coffee – and pancakes, for anyone who could stomach it. Then he grabbed a wooden spoon and started banging a metal pot loudly. "EVERYBODY GET OUT OF BED!" He yelled. "I know you feel bad, but you all need to help me clean my house, and then clear off!"

Kurt's request was followed with several loud groans and cries of "Okay, okay, just please stop with the banging!"

Very slowly, people started to get up and search the room for lost items of clothing. Nobody seemed to be in the mood to talk. Blaine, David, Finn and Puck were the only ones who seemed capable of eating, and between the four of them, they finished Kurt's enormous stack of pancakes that he had intended to feed at least twelve people. People gradually started filtering out, although the Warblers offered to stay behind for a little while to help clean up the last of the mess.

Once everything was tidy, the boys collapsed on the couch with a loud groan.

"So, about last night…" Kurt started.

"-Let's not ever bring it up ever again," Wes interjected.

"Never," David agreed.

"Well, Nick and I didn't do anything too embarrassing," Jeff said with a grin, "So technically, we can still mock the rest of you."

"Wrong," David said, "after these two-" he gestured to Kurt and Blaine "-ran off to fuck, you and Nick decided it would be a good idea to rap 'Stupid Hoe' by Nicki Minaj and do a booty dance. Which I filmed." He help up his iPhone. "So it would be in your best interests to keep your mouths shut, lest it end up on YouTube."

Nick let out a low groan. "Fuck, I forgot about that."

"So, do we have an understanding?" Kurt asked with a smirk.

"Deal," Nick and Jeff responded simultaneously.

"Right after we watch that video," Blaine said, snatching David's phone and grabbing Kurt's hand to drag him off the couch. The boys ran sprinted down the hall to Kurt's room, giggling loudly, Nick and Jeff hot on their heels. They managed to reach Kurt's room in time and lock the door behind them. Nick and Jeff pounded on the door and protested loudly as Kurt and Blaine collapsed on the bed in a fit of giggles.

"Well," Blaine said, "I'm sure last night at least counts as life experience."

Kurt nodded. "Yeah, and I have to admit, it was pretty fun while it lasted."

"We had some pretty amazing sex."

"Once we get rid of our friends, what do you say we have some more?"

Blaine grinned widely. "Wow, you really are a sex fiend."

"Oh, shut up," Kurt snapped. "That's rich coming from you, mister 'oh Kurt, please fuck me, I need it, oh god, harder!'"

"Hush, you," Blaine laughed, grabbing Kurt and flipping him onto his back on the bed before tickling his stomach. Kurt squealed and shook with silent laughter, begging Blaine for mercy.

There was a knock on the door. "You guys aren't fucking again, are you?" David asked, "because I need my phone back."

Blaine suddenly let out a loud moan, and Kurt clapped a hand over his mouth as they dissolved into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

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><p><strong>AN: I hope you guys liked this chapter! Don't worry, Kurt will get his chance to bottom soon enough - I just didn't want him to be drunk the first time he tried it. Huge thank you to all my readers for your reviews and encouragement :) I love you guys, and happy Valentine's day!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Road To Love: Chapter 14**

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><p>"Okay, is that everything?" Blaine asked as Kurt wheeled another suitcase into the living room. Kurt let out a horrified gasp.<p>

"Blaine, these are only my first two suitcases! I have another four upstairs!"

Blaine gawped at his boyfriend. "What could you possibly need six suitcases for? Kurt, we're going to _Dalton_. We wear uniforms five days a week. How many of your suitcases are full of clothing?"

"Five," Kurt muttered under his breath.

Burt let out a loud chuckle as he thumbed through one of the Dalton brochures that Kurt had provided him with. "Clearly," he said, looking up at Blaine from his spot on the couch, "you underestimated the bond that he has with his clothes. I tried to get him not to pack his grey Alexander McQueen fur-lined coat, and the look on his face…you'd think I was asking him to abandon his first-born child or something."

Kurt scowled down at his father.

"Okay, there's no way the closet is going to fit all these clothes," Blaine said, trying to let Kurt down gently, knowing that he was treading on thin ice. "How about you get rid of three of the suitcases? Then you'll have two suitcases of clothes, and one of whatever else you're taking."

Kurt glared at his boyfriend long and hard. "Fine," he said finally, "but I hope you appreciate the huge sacrifice I am making for you. Come on, you'll have to help me re-pack a few things."

They headed off to Kurt's room with the suitcases and Blaine attempted to help Kurt with his re-packing, but gave up after being scolded five times for not folding the clothes correctly or putting them in the wrong spot. He would up relaxing on Kurt's bed, smiling dreamily at his boyfriend as he scampered around the room, inspecting pieces of clothing and mumbling to himself (or perhaps to Blaine, he wasn't quite sure) about the pros and cons of each item.

Blaine thought back over the time that they had spent together over the break, and he let out a sigh of contentment.

* * *

><p>Blaine had been a little concerned about staying at Kurt's house at first. He had heard that living together could sometimes put a damper on relationships, and he had been worried that some his and Kurt's habits would clash and they'd end up fighting, but it hadn't turned out that way at all.<p>

The boys had immediately and effortlessly slipped into a rather domestic routine. They woke up each day around 8, which had been a compromise for both of them – Kurt was an early riser and typically preferred to wake up at 6am, but Blaine was lazier and usually enjoyed sleeping in until at least 10. However, he decided that waking up next to Kurt and getting to spend the entire day together sure beat sleeping.

After waking up and sharing morning cuddles and kisses, they either showered together (which inevitably lead to the exchange of morning blowjobs and Rachel complaining about them using all the hot water), or they enjoyed a bath together. Kurt preferred baths because they were more luxurious and he could use all of his expensive bath salts. Blaine had to admit that they were rather relaxing, and although they didn't exactly have a lot of room to fool around without flooding the floor, he was quite content to just hold Kurt in his arms and gently wash him with his vanilla-scented soap.

Afterwards, Kurt liked to prepare breakfast for the whole family while Blaine and Finn watched cartoons. The first time they had sat down excitedly to watch Scooby Doo, Kurt and Rachel had teased them mercilessly, but Kurt had later admitted that he actually found Blaine's childish habits adorable and rather endearing.

Blaine had discovered very quickly that Kurt loved to cook, and his food was amazing. He informed Blaine that after his mother died, he had started preparing most of the family meals due to the fact that Burt wasn't much of a chef and he loved butter and salt far too much for Kurt's liking. Despite complaining that Blaine was going to become obese and diabetic, Kurt liked to spoil him with waffles and pancakes for breakfast, and when he drew little faces on Blaine's pancakes with bacon and strawberries and syrup, Blaine found himself wondering once again how he had landed such a perfect boyfriend.

Blaine's cute, childish habits, however, ceased as soon as the bedroom door was locked behind them. With Kurt constantly walking around him in tight jeans and figure-hugging sweaters, Blaine had found it nearly impossible to keep his hands off his boyfriend. Finn had quickly caught on to the fact that when the boys went into Kurt's room together and locked the door behind them, it was time to either take Rachel out on a date or turn on really loud music.

Two days after the big party, once everyone had recovered from their hangovers, Kurt and Blaine had been curled up on Kurt's bed watching _Breakfast at Tiffany's _when Kurt suddenly turned to Blaine and announced that, while the sex they'd had so far was amazing, he thought it was about time that he tried bottoming.

"What, now?" Blaine had croaked, eyes wide and practically drooling.

"Yes, now," Kurt said with a giggle. "Unless you'd rather finish the movie first…?"

Blaine immediately lunged for the remote and turned off the TV, then quickly closed and locked the bedroom door.

Blaine learned a few things over the next hour:

1. Kurt's prostate was _extremely _sensitive.

2. Kurt didn't actually need alcohol in order to be very vocal in bed.

3. Kurt was somewhat of a power-bottom.

When they started, Kurt was on his back facing Blaine, in the same position that Blaine had been in during their first time. However, not two minutes in, Kurt had flipped them over so that he was 'bottoming from the top' and proceeded to ride Blaine into the mattress, emitting all sort of delightful sounds – high-pitched keens, moans, and whimpers, all of which turned Blaine on so much that he thought he was going to pass out from sensory overload.

Afterwards, when Blaine had come so hard he'd seen stars and Kurt had shot all over his stomach, the boys had been so spent that they'd slept the whole day away, awaking early the next morning very well-rested, extremely hungry, and still sticky with sweat and come.

Needless to say, Kurt and Blaine had _a lot _of really amazing sex that week – but they certainly didn't spend all their time confined to the bedroom. Blaine had quickly become quite fond of Rachel, and he had gotten to know Finn quite a lot better during his stay, and found that they actually had quite a bit in common. They both supported the same sports teams, liked some of the same music (namely Classic Rock), and shared a love for horror movies – the scarier, the better. This prompted the suggestion of a double date which resulted in Finn, Rachel, Kurt and Blaine curling up on the living room floor one night with the lights off to watch a terrifying Japanese horror movie that Finn had borrowed from one of his football buddies. They made sure they had plenty of pillows, soft blankets, and several bowls of popcorn and sugary sweets, and Blaine particularly enjoyed the way Kurt snuggled up to his side and gripped his hand tightly throughout the entire film. His terrified squeaks every time a scary part came up were absolutely adorable, and his cuddliness lasted the entire night, resulting in Blaine having to escort him to the bathroom at 2am because he was worried about being attacked by a murderous ghost as soon as he left the safety of the bed and Blaine's arms.

* * *

><p>The day before Kurt's parents were due back, there was a knock on the door. Finn answered it, as Kurt and Blaine were in the kitchen baking cookies – or at least trying to bake cookies, as most of the mixture ended up on them rather than in the bowl. Finn's angry voice drifted into the kitchen, and the boys looked at each other in confusion before going to see what all the fuss was about. They were surprised to find Dave Karofsky standing in the doorway, hands in his pockets and eyes trained on the floor as Finn stood in the doorway, clearly blocking him from entering.<p>

"I just need to speak to Kurt," Dave pleaded. "Please, I don't want any trouble."

Finn glared daggers at him. "Why would you want to speak to him?" He asked. "He doesn't want to hear from you! You bullied him for years and now he has to change schools because of you, and I don't know what the hell is going on with you or if you're gay or whatever and I don't care, just sort out your shit and stay away from my brother -"

"FINN!" Kurt yelled, and Finn spun around and shot him a worried glance.

"Kurt," he said, "Karofsky here was just leaving -"

"Finn, I appreciate the fact that you are trying to protect me. Thank you for your concern. But please don't speak on my behalf. Dave can come in and say what he wants to say."

Finn stared at Kurt in shock. "But…bro, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"We're just going to talk. I'm not in danger, Finn."

"Umm, ok, your call dude," Finn said, reluctantly moving out of the way. Dave stepped inside.

"Come through to the living room," Kurt said, and Blaine followed him, with Dave trailing behind.

Once Kurt, Blaine and Dave were seated, Blaine decided to cut right to the chase. "So, Dave…how have you been?" he asked, trying to convey concern rather than the hostility he was sure the boy was expecting.

Dave's gaze flickered to the back of the room uncomfortably, and Blaine turned to see Finn lurking in the corner. "Finn," Kurt said with a sigh, "can you give us some privacy, please? You can borrow my Navigator if you and Rachel want to go out for lunch or something."

Finn's eyes lit up immediately. "Ok, yeah, cool. Thanks, man," he said, taking Kurt's keys from a hook on the wall. As soon as he left, Dave visibly relaxed.

"Thanks, guys," he said, meeting both their eyes for the first time since his arrival. "It means a lot to me that you would even hear me out after…after everything." He turned to Kurt, his expression guilty. "Did you really have to change schools because of what I did?"

Kurt nodded stiffly. "I'll be going to Dalton with Blaine after break."

Dave raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, wow…really? That's…okay. Um. I should probably tell you that I'll be going there too."

Now it was Kurt's turn to look surprised. "To…to Dalton? It didn't really seem like your kind of thing. They don't wear letterman jackets there, Dave."

Dave chuckled. "Yeah, I know, I've seen the blazers. I don't mind, though. I'm not the same guy that I was at McKinley, Kurt. I was _never _that guy, not really…I promise that I won't be any trouble to you at Dalton. I just need somewhere safe, where I can feel accepted. I don't want to have to hide anymore."

Kurt nodded. "I can understand that. And I don't have a problem with you being there, if…if that's what you need."

"I think it is," Karofsky said, and Blaine noticed tears pooling in his eyes. "I came out to my dad," he said.

Blaine's eyes widened and he turned to look at Kurt, who looked back at him with the same expression of shock on his face.

"That was fast," Blaine said, turning to Dave, who, thankfully, was now smiling despite the tears. "How did he take it?"

"Good," Dave said, his smile widening. "Really, really good. He was surprised, but he said that he knew something had been off with me lately. I thought he'd be furious, but he wasn't. He's trying to understand. I think he was sort of confused as to why I'm not more…like…"

"Like me?" Kurt asked, and Dave nodded, blushing.

"Yeah…no offence. I mean I'm not really into, like, clothes and musicals and stuff, so…"

Kurt nodded. "I know," he said. "I'm aware that I'm somewhat of a walking stereotype."

Dave shook his head vehemently, and stared at Kurt with an intensity that made Blaine a little uncomfortable. "No," he said, "you're not a stereotype, Kurt. You're unlike anyone I've ever met before."

Kurt didn't say anything back, instead shuffling awkwardly in his chair. He looked about as uncomfortable as Blaine felt.

Blaine cleared his throat. "We're happy to hear that your dad took it well, Dave," he said, "and I guess we'll be seeing you at Dalton soon."

Dave nodded.

"Well, if that's all…" Blaine said, trying to wrap the meeting up.

"Oh, yeah," Dave said, jumping to his feet. "Sorry to keep you. I hope you have a great…rest of your holidays."

He headed to the door before turning around. "Thanks again, you two," he said, his voice full of sincerity, "I don't deserve the kindness that you've shown me. I only hope I can try to make it up to you sometime in the future. Especially you, Kurt. I'll be seeing you."

And with that, he was gone.

Kurt immediately curled into Blaine's side, letting out a deep sigh of relief. "I'm so glad things worked out for him," he said.

"I love you," Blaine said, his tone strong and intense. Kurt looked at him in surprise.

"I love you too."

"He was right, you know," Blaine said, and Kurt tilted his head in confusion. "Dave. He was right about you not being a stereotype. You're so…special, and amazing, and there has never been – and never will be – anyone else even remotely like Kurt Hummel. And I mean that in the best possible way."

Kurt's face broke into a wide grin, and he leaned in to kiss Blaine deeply and passionately before taking his hand and pulling him down the hall towards the bedroom.

* * *

><p>When Burt and Carole arrived back from their trip, looking very happy and relaxed, they had hugged everybody and asked if they'd had a good time. Blaine had smiled and nodded politely along with the others, and thankfully Finn had the good sense not to mention the party. Blaine left to go home shortly after, and Kurt had kissed him and told him to stop looking like a kicked puppy, they were still on holiday and they could continue to see each other pretty much every day.<p>

This cheered Blaine up somewhat, and they spent the last week of the holidays going out on several coffee dates, and occasionally meeting up with their Warbler friends, or Kurt's friends from New Directions. They both went back to working at the garage a few days a week, and on those days Blaine would spend the evenings with the Hummel-Hudsons, who by now felt like a second family to him.

Blaine and his father were interacting much like they always had – his father would ask him where he'd been, Blaine would lie, and his dad would grunt in response and go back to his work. They wouldn't talk unless they needed to, or unless his dad found something else to criticise him for. It hurt even more when he heard his father talking to Cooper, Blaine's older brother, on the phone. His dad was laughing and joking and just being generally friendly, like a father ought to be with his son, which was something that Blaine was entirely unfamiliar with. All the while his mum stood in the background looking at Blaine sympathetically, and Blaine wanted to lash out at his father but then he'd feel guilty because his mum hated it when they fought and she had been so happy to have him back for the holidays. He tried his best to spend as much time with his mum as he could – he helped her make dinner each night he was home, he sung with her, and he told her all about Kurt and his friends. She seemed to be really happy for him, and Blaine apologised profusely for not being able to hang out with her more often, but she told him not to be silly – he was young and in love, she knew what that was like. Blaine smiled and hugged her and kissed her cheek and sang with her some more.

On the day before he was set to go back to Dalton, Blaine's mum had hugged him tightly and very nearly cried, even though she would still see him every weekend. His dad clapped him on the shoulder and told him to "study hard and stay out of trouble", and Blaine nodded. He then got in his car and drove to Kurt's house, as he had agreed to pick him up so they could travel to Dalton together - which is how he wound up lying on Kurt's bed, quietly observing as his boyfriend moved piles of clothing from one suitcase to another.

"Ok," Kurt said finally, "I think I'm done. You ready to go?"

"Yup," Blaine said, climbing off the bed and reaching for one of the bags. "I'll go put these in the car while you say goodbye to your family."

* * *

><p>Finn and Carole hugged Kurt warmly, and made Kurt promise to call as soon as he arrived at Dalton. Kurt nodded and smiled sadly at them.<p>

"Take care of my dad," he whispered to Carole as he hugged her a second time, and she assured him that she would. As he turned away, he noticed her surreptitiously wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Dad? Blaine and I are ready to go now," Kurt said, walking over to the couch and laying a hand on his dad's shoulder.

Burt got to his feet immediately, and wrapped Kurt up in a bone-crushing hug.

When he pulled away, there were tears in his eyes.

"I'm gonna miss you, kid. I know I'll see you on weekends, but it's not gonna be the same without you here every day. I love you."

Kurt felt his own eyes filling with tears. "I love you too, dad. I'll miss you."

They hugged again, clinging to each other for several minutes before Burt pulled away, nodding his head in the direction of the door where Blaine was standing, watching them say goodbye with a sad and somewhat longing expression on his face.

"Go on, kid," Burt said, clapping Kurt on the shoulder. Kurt made his way over to Blaine and curled up to him, kissing him softly on the lips. Blaine reached up to wipe the tears from Kurt's cheeks that he hadn't even been aware that he'd shed.

"Blaine," Burt said, and Blaine looked up as Burt approached him. "You take of care of Kurt, ok kiddo?"

Blaine nodded. "Of course, Burt."

Burt then threw his arms around the both of them, and Kurt laughed softly.

When he pulled away, all three of them were teary-eyed.

"Now go!" Burt said, ushering the boys out the door. "Go, before I change my mind about sending Kurt to that godforsaken school. I'll see you both this weekend."

With sad smiles on their faces, Blaine and Kurt waved as they got into the car and set off on the 2-hour drive to Dalton academy.

* * *

><p>Kurt and Blaine spent the majority of their drive singing along to music from Blaine's iPod, and talking about the Warblers. Kurt was certain that he would be joining the group, even though he would find it somewhat difficult competing against New Directions. He was surprised to find out that the Warblers didn't have a director, but rather a council that consisted of three upperclassmen who were voted in. Currently, the members were Wes, David, and Thad. Kurt didn't know Thad, but he laughed out loud at the thought of David being on any sort of council. Blaine winced slightly at his laughter, and Kurt cocked an eyebrow questioningly.<p>

"Kurt…" Blaine said, "I'm just warning you in advance…you may be a bit shocked by the way we – that is, David, Wes, Nick, Jeff and I – act in school. The Warblers, and me in particular, are looked up to in the school, so we have to be 'good role models', so to speak. We have to tone down the goofiness and stuff, try to be more 'proper'. Of course, when we're back in our rooms, we're back to our usual selves, but until then…"

Kurt narrowed his eyes as the implications of what Blaine was saying started to set in. "I thought you said Dalton is where people are accepted for who they are, Blaine," he said, his voice icy. "And now you're telling me that you have to put up some dapper, fancy-schmancy front in order to 'be a good role model'? Sounds like bullshit to me."

Blaine looked over at Kurt worriedly. "Please, Kurt, it's just the way that we do things," he said. "The Warblers wear a uniform for a reason. We have to be united, be clear that we're part of the same team. We can't be butting heads all the time." Kurt snorted derisively.

"Well, Blaine Anderson," he said, "just know that if you try to act all uppity with me, I will not be impressed. I like my cute, slightly dorky, silly goofball of a boyfriend. I refuse to date two different Blaine's."

Blaine nodded, reaching across the centre console to clasp Kurt's hand. "I will always be myself with you," he said, and Kurt smiled softly.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, they pulled into the Dalton parking lot. They headed straight to the front office when they arrived so Kurt could pick up his uniform and timetable, and get his room placement.<p>

As they entered the office, they saw Dave already seated in one of the sofas. He waved at them, and they nodded back in acknowledgement.

The woman behind the desk quickly gave Kurt his uniform and timetable, and also set him up with a map of the campus.

"I've been informed that you are now without a roommate, Mr Anderson," she said, and gestured to Kurt. "Would you like to room with your friend?"

Kurt sighed regretfully. "Blaine's my boyfriend," he said, and she nodded understandingly. "Very well. Thank you for being honest with me – we had to suspend two students last year for trying to keep their relationship a secret so they could share a room. Anyway, in that case, one of you will be rooming with Mr Karofsky here - " she gestured towards Dave – "and the other will be with the new student who should be arriving later this afternoon. I'll be back in a moment," she said, heading off to the back room.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other in shock, and then turned to Dave, whose face was red with embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry, guys," he said, clearly finding the situation extremely awkward. "I'm sure if we explain, she'll be able to shuffle some rooms around…"

"No," Blaine said, shaking his head, "they don't really do that here. It's fine. I'll be your roommate."

Kurt turned to him with wide eyes. "Blaine, can I talk to you outside?" He asked, grabbing Blaine's arm and dragging him from the office.

"Blaine, this is a bad idea," he said once they were out of earshot. "I literally cannot think of a more awkward arrangement."

"Kurt," Blaine said, "we don't really have a choice. If you tried telling them about what happened with Dave, they'd probably put you two in restorative counselling or something to sort out your issues, which would _not _be fun. And I can't ask _you _to share a room with him, not after all the bad history that exists between you two. I barely know the guy, I have much a better chance of making this situation work."

Kurt shook his head. "You're the boyfriend of the guy he bullied for years and then forcefully kissed. How the hell is that going to work?"

"Maybe I can help him."

"How?"

"I can introduce him to some of my friends from the football team. I know he'd get along with Jason and Ben, and Scott is on the team too and he's gay, so he could definitely help Dave. Look, why don't we try it on a trial basis? We give it a month, and if things aren't working out…we'll see what we can do."

Kurt sighed. "Well…he certainly seems to have changed. If you're willing to try, I'm sure you guys could at least manage to be civil."

Blaine nodded. "Everybody likes me, I'm very charming."

Kurt snorted. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

Later that afternoon, Kurt was in his room putting away his clothes in his (much too small) closet. Blaine had been helping him earlier, but then Thad had come in and demanded that Blaine discuss their practice plan for regionals with him, so he had left with a kiss and a promise to be back in time to escort Kurt to dinner.

At around 5pm, Kurt had put all of his clothes away and was lying on his bed reading when the door opened and a tall, attractive boy walked in.

"You must be my new roommate," they both said simultaneously, and smiled at each other.

"I'm Kurt Hummel," Kurt said, standing up and offering his hand to the boy.

The boy looked Kurt up and down – not exactly leering, but clearly assessing him with his eyes. Kurt raised an eyebrow at his blatant staring, but the boy just smirked, and finally accepted Kurt's hand.

"Sebastian Smythe."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, I have a few things to say about this chapter:**

** 1. I know I sort of skimmed over the sex scene - I'm not the best smut writer, and I didn't think it was strictly necessary to write a detailed sex scene at this point - I'm not sure how you guys feel about that, if you desperately want me to write bottom!kurt then I could give it a go at some point in the future but like I said, smut isn't really my strong point. There's only so many times I can use the words "moan" and "cock" before I start feeling a little silly.**

** 2. Karofsky. I know a lot of Klainers don't like him, judging by the reaction to his appearance in the latest episode. Personally, I loved that they were giving him some more character development. I'm trying to write Dave as close to canon!Dave as I can in here, so he's not perfect, but he's certainly not evil and he's trying his best to fix his mistakes. Rest assured that he will not be interfering with Klaine, at least not to a significant level.**

** 3. The conversation in the car about the Warblers - this was basically my sort-of-attempt at addressing the fact that I felt like, on the show, Dalton!Blaine and McKinley!Blaine were almost two entirely different people in the way they acted. When Blaine was at Dalton he was all dapper and proper with his serious face and his good advice, and now he's like this love-sick goober in a bowtie. Personally, I prefer the goober in the bowtie.**

** Thanks for reading, let me know what you guys think of the chapter :)**

** xx**

** P.S. If you have any questions regarding the story you can PM me, ask me in a review & I'll respond privately, or hit me up on tumblr at just-a-silly-romantic(.)tumblr(.)com**


	15. Chapter 15

**Road To Love: Chapter 15**

* * *

><p>Kurt didn't trust Sebastian.<p>

He came to this conclusion fairly quickly after meeting his new roommate. As Sebastian unpacked, Kurt tried to make friendly conversation with him, but was met with nothing but sarcasm and arrogance.

After about an hour of this, Kurt had just about had enough.

"So," Kurt said, his tone snappish by this point, "what school did you transfer from?"

Sebastian answered in a bored, drawling tone as he arranged the clothes in his wardrobe. "A very prestigious school in Paris, you wouldn't know about it." He turned around and looked down at Kurt with a smug air of superiority.

"And where, may I ask, did you transfer from?" He asked.

"McKinley High. It's not Paris, but I made some great friends there."

Sebastian laughed. "Public school. Of course, I should have known. Have you ever even left Ohio?"

"No," Kurt snapped, folding his arms defensively across his chest. "We're not all rolling in money like you seem to be."

"Well, then that would explain your total lack of culture and sophistication."

That was the last straw for Kurt.

"Look, what is your problem?" He asked angrily, and Sebastian looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a cocky smirk on his face.

"Ever since you arrived," Kurt continued angrily, "which was only one hour ago, and yet you made it feel like a decade – you have been nothing but rude. I'm getting a little sick of it. If you keep up this arrogant bullshit you have going on, you and I are never going to get along. So I suggest that you fix your attitude, Smythe, because I'm not the one with the problem here!"

Sebastian took a few steps forward until he was completely crowding Kurt's personal space, never breaking eye contact. Kurt refused to take a step back, however. It felt like a challenge.

"You're hot when you get all feisty," Sebastian whispered, raising a hand and dragging a finger down from Kurt's collarbone to the waistband of his jeans. Kurt gawped at the boy in shock and horror.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Kurt jumped back immediately, his face flushed with anger and embarrassment. Sebastian was fucking with him, he was sure of it. He was just trying to get a rise out of him.

The door opened, and Blaine walked in.

"Hey, baby," he said, and Kurt smiled at the endearment, walking briskly over to his boyfriend and placing a firm kiss on his lips, just on the off-chance that Sebastian had been legitimately hitting on him and thinking there was a chance that they could actually hook up.

When they pulled apart, Blaine turned to Sebastian with a smile on his face. "And this must be your new roommate," he said, offering his hand. Kurt noticed that Sebastian responded exactly the same way as when he had met Kurt – he looked Blaine up and down before accepting the hand offered to him. If Blaine noticed the action, his face didn't betray it.

"I'm Blaine, Kurt's boyfriend," Blaine said, and Sebastian looked between them, his smug smile back in place.

"I see. It's a pleasure to meet you, Blaine. I'm Sebastian. Are you the same Blaine who everybody keeps talking about? Lead singer of the Warblers?"

Blaine nodded, grinning widely. "People have mentioned me?"

"Oh, yeah," Sebastian said, "You're somewhat of a legend at Dalton. Apparently you're sex on a stick and sing like a dream."

Blaine blushed bright red and looked down at his shoes. "Well, I don't know about that," he mumbled, clearly flustered.

Kurt gaped at Sebastian's shameless flirting, and glared at him angrily. Did he just hit on everything that moved?

"Come on Blaine, let's go to dinner," he said, grabbing his hand and pulling him from the room before Sebastian could come up with another sleazy line.

* * *

><p>Kurt's first week at Dalton passed by in a hectic flurry of activity. He was sure that it was only thanks to Blaine that he managed to get through it without having a nervous breakdown.<p>

Blaine acted as Kurt's guide and assistant throughout the week, walking him to each and every one of his classes and introducing him to other people he thought he might get along with. Kurt had, indeed, met several nice boys outside of the five that he already knew, and he had been extremely pleased with the fact that his sexuality and relationship with Blaine seemed to be a total non-issue. If anything, Kurt was treated as somewhat of a celebrity due to the fact that he was the boyfriend of Dalton's lead Warbler, and thereby famous by association. Classes were hard and a little overwhelming at first, but it was nothing Kurt couldn't handle, and he actually preferred to be challenged rather than bored to death like he was at McKinley.

Kurt auditioned for the Warblers the day after his arrival, and was immediately and enthusiastically welcomed into the group. His elation didn't last long, however, as shortly after that Sebastian traipsed into the room (late, of course) and sang an extra-sultry version of Carlos Santana's _Smooth_, cocky smirk in place the entire time. He had made eyes at Blaine for half the song and winked at Kurt as it came to a close, and Kurt had felt his face heat up with rage. God, he was such a_ douchebag_. The song immediately earned Sebastian a place in the Warblers, and Kurt was seething throughout the rest of the practice, desperately trying to avoid having to look at that smirky meerkat face.

Another thing that Kurt had to get used to was the way the Warblers organised themselves. It was…different, to say the least. The boys were talented and kind and welcoming, no doubt about that, but they didn't seem to be open to any of Kurt's suggestions on song choice or arrangement. It appeared that the council made _all_ of the decisions, unless they decided to put something to a vote. In New Directions, everybody had had a fair say of what they thought would be best for the club. Slightly peeved, Kurt ambushed Wes and David later that day and made his concern known. They had both looked rather sheepish and torn, and although they said that there wasn't much they could do about the council arrangement, they would definitely consider Kurt's idea of singing _Rio _by Duran Duran. Which was something, at least.

The main thing that Kurt was having difficulty adjusting to at Dalton was the fact that he had to _share a room_ with Sebastian. Kurt found the boy completely and utterly insufferable. He had mentioned to Blaine that he wasn't too fond of Sebastian, but he had understated the issue, making it sound like they could possibly be friends if they tried a little harder. The truth was that he didn't want to disappoint Blaine. Blaine had been amazing, and he had been trying so hard to get along with Dave, which he seemed to be handling very well as he hadn't mentioned any conflict so far. Kurt didn't want to be the one to cause drama just because he couldn't manage to be civil with Sebastian.

His strategy for coping with the boy was mostly just to ignore him wherever possible. When he could, Kurt would spend after-school hours hanging out with Blaine around the Dalton campus, or in his room. When Kurt went to visit Blaine in his room, Dave always made himself scarce for an hour or so, and Kurt made a mental note to thank him for that later. It had certainly given them much more opportunity to enjoy the 'time alone' that they had been so looking forward to.

Once Friday finally arrived, Kurt had to admit that he was quite keen to go home for the weekend and sleep in his own bed, without having to deal with the fact that the world's biggest ass was sleeping not six feet away from him.

As soon as classes ended on Friday, Kurt ran to his room to quickly grab his bag before heading over to Blaine's room. He knocked on the door and Blaine answered immediately, all ready to go. Dave was lying on his bed reading and looked up to smile at Kurt as he entered.

Kurt greeted Blaine with a kiss and pulled him from the room eagerly, shouting a goodbye to Dave over his shoulder.

"Ugh, I can't wait to get home," Kurt said as he walked hand-in-hand with Blaine out to the parking lot. "Dalton's great and everything, but this week has been really stressful."

Blaine nodded. "I hear you. First week of school always is. Come on, let's get you home."

* * *

><p>Dave's first week at Dalton had been both terrifying and amazing.<p>

He had gotten so used to thundering down the halls at McKinley, pushing kids out of his way and leering at girls with his "friends" from the football team. At Dalton, everything was different. There were no girls for starters, which was a definite bonus – and the guys were just so _nice,_ he wasn't really sure how to behave around them.

He decided that since now was a time for starting afresh, he would just try to do what felt right instead of what other people expected of him, for once in his life. It was much easier said than done.

Blaine had been endlessly helpful, and Dave couldn't thank him enough. They weren't exactly friends, but they were polite and considerate towards each other, and that was more than he could ask for.

On his first day, Blaine had informed him about the football team.

"The guys are so nice, and the team is actually really, really good," Blaine said, and Dave felt excitement bubbling up inside him. The team at McKinley had certainly not been nice (with the exception of one or two guys – the ones that had joined New Directions), and to put it bluntly, they had sucked. They lost almost all of their games, and it had been frustrating to no end. Most of the guys hadn't been able to play at all, and had only joined the team for the status boost.

"It sounds great," Dave said enthusiastically. "How do I join?"

"You should talk to Ben and Scott," Blaine said. "They're roommates; I'll take you down to meet them soon if you want. Ben's the captain of the team and he can organise for you to try out. Scott's on the team too, and he's gay, so I thought you might want to talk to him and -"

"-Wait, what?" Dave interrupted, jaw dropping. "There's an openly gay guy on the football team?"

"Yup. This is Dalton, remember?" Blaine said with a grin. "I mean, I'm not trying to set you up with him or anything. He has a boyfriend. But I thought maybe he could help you if you needed to talk to somebody, or something."

Dave nodded, blinking back the tears of gratitude and relief that were welling up in his eyes.

"So, shall I take you to meet them?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, please," Dave responded, following Blaine out of the room.

* * *

><p>A few short days later and Dave had pretty much sealed himself a solid group of friends. He had immediately hit it off with a bunch of guys from the football team, Scott and Ben included, and several others from his classes. They hadn't asked if he was gay, and he hadn't told them, but he knew he would, if and when they asked. They certainly didn't seem to have a problem with Scott, and even asked him about his boyfriend, who apparently went to another school but was also friends with most of Dalton's football team.<p>

Things were going amazingly well, and once Blaine left with Kurt on Friday afternoon, Dave found himself singing lightly under his breath as he wandered around his room, packing up some of his own stuff to take home for the weekend.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in, it's unlocked," David called, expecting one of his friends to walk in.

Instead, it was Sebastian Smythe.

Dave knew that Sebastian was Kurt's roommate. Blaine had mentioned briefly, in a concerned tone, that Kurt and Sebastian weren't getting along very well, and Dave didn't find that hard to believe. He hadn't spoken to the boy, but every time he caught sight of Sebastian around the school, he always had this smug, cocky look about him - like he was better than everybody around him. Dave didn't like it. Even though he'd sworn that he would stop bullying, he had often walked past Sebastian and wished that he'd had a slushy just so he could wipe that arrogant smirk off his face, if only temporarily.

"How may I help you?" He asked in a clipped tone, as Sebastian strolled casually into the room, smirk firmly in place.

"Ahh, so you're David Karofsky. I don't believe we've formally met. I'm Sebastian Smythe," he said, holding out his hand for Dave to shake. He ignored it.

"I know who you are," he said. "Blaine's gone, if this is about the Warblers, or whatever."

"Actually, I wanted to see you," Sebastian drawled, looking Dave up and down with an almost patronizing smile on his face. "I have a proposition."

Dave snorted derisively. "Oh yeah, what's that?"

"You're going to help me break up Hummel and Anderson."

Dave gaped at Sebastian, his expression transforming from shock to anger in a matter of seconds. "Like hell I am."

"Oh please, stop trying to be noble," Sebastian said, voice brimming with confidence. "I've seen the way you look at Hummel. You want him, it's blatantly obvious. Well, I have something that I want, too. Blaine Anderson is the hottest item at this school, and the only thing standing between me and him is Kurt Hummel. You're going to help me break them up so I can have Blaine, and then you can have Kurt all to yourself."

"No," Dave said firmly. "I've already hurt Kurt enough, I'm not doing it again."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at Dave, pausing for a moment before speaking again. "One thing you should know about me, David," he said, his tone sharp and cruel, "is that I always get what I want. You should think very hard about this offer before you turn me down."

Dave straightened his back and took two steps forward so that his face was just inches from Sebastian's. "Fuck off, Smythe."

Sebastian raised his eyebrows and smiled, standing his ground.

"Fine," he said challengingly, his voice silky smooth and dripping with arrogance. "Then I'll break them up myself. And by the end of the month, I'll have had them both."

"You wanna say that again, Smythe?"

"You heard me. I'll show you _exactly _what I can do, Karofsky. I can get any guy I want. You'll see."

He spun on his heel and headed straight out the door without a backward glance, leaving Dave standing in the middle of the room, trembling with fury.

* * *

><p>Over the next few weeks, Dave decided to stay silent about his encounter with Sebastian for the time being, because:<p>

1. Kurt was stuck with Sebastian as a roommate and if he knew about the things he had been saying, all hell would break loose.

2. If Sebastian told Kurt and Blaine that Dave had feelings for Kurt (feelings that he had been desperately trying to ignore), then they would probably never speak to him again.

3. Kurt and Blaine seemed like such a strong couple that he was pretty sure that Sebastian wasn't a legitimate threat anyway.

So, he kept the conversation to himself. He went about his newly-formed routine: Going to class, hanging out with his friends, going to football practice. In the evenings he would read quietly in his room or make small talk with Blaine. If Kurt came to spend time with Blaine, fuming because Sebastian had made another offensive remark, he would hurry from the room and spend an hour or two with one of his friends.

One day about three weeks after his arrival at Dalton, Dave was sitting on his bed doing his homework when Kurt came storming into his room looking livid.

"Where's Blaine?" He snapped.

"I don't know," Dave said, blinking up at the furious boy in confusion. "He got a text and then he left."

Kurt looked over to Blaine's side of the room and spotted his phone on his dresser. He marched over and picked it up, quickly going to his inbox to see his most recently received text. He read it aloud.

**To: Blaine**

**From: Sebastian**

_Hey Blaine, can you meet me in the Warblers' practice room to go over those new dance moves, please? I could really use your expertise. ;)_

Dave watched as Kurt clenched his fist around the phone angrily.

"Kurt…?" He asked tentatively, "Is everything alright?"

"No!" Kurt snapped, his eyes flashing dangerously. "That total _ass _Sebastian is making my life a living hell. I hate having him as a roommate, I hate it! God, I can barely stand to be within a mile of the guy! I've tried to get along with him but it's impossible - he's so rude and arrogant all the time! One moment he's blatantly insulting me, and the next minute he's making some sort of sleazy pass at me, I have _no idea _what the fuck he wants. And he keeps flirting with Blaine right in front of me! And Blaine – I love him, but sometimes he makes me want to tear my hair out because he's so naïve and clueless and he doesn't even see what Sebastian is doing! He keeps saying that I should give him a chance because he's really 'not that bad, just a little intense' but he just _doesn't get it _and I don't know what to do!"

Kurt was fuming, face bright red and hands clenched at his sides.

Dave sighed. He hadn't realised that things had already escalated this far. "Kurt, there's something I need to tell you."

He told Kurt everything – well, almost everything. Kurt listened with rapt attention, only interrupting once or twice to call Sebastian a bitch or a whore. When Dave got to the part about Sebastian saying that he would have both Kurt and Blaine before the month was out, Kurt laughed loudly and humourlessly.

"That asshole," he muttered, when Dave had finally finished. "Why did he think you'd want to help him, anyway?"

"I don't know," Dave mumbled, face flaming as he stared at his lap.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I wasn't sure how serious he was. I figured he'd try, fail, and give up – I didn't realise he'd be this persistent."

Kurt huffed in annoyance. "This is all a game to him, isn't it?"

Dave nodded. "Don't let him win."

"Don't worry. I won't."

* * *

><p>The next evening, Kurt was seated on his bed while Sebastian was out doing god-knows-what. He had a pen and pad of paper in front of him, and was furiously plotting ways to get back at Sebastian. He had texted Santana, who had suggested dragging him off to a tattoo parlour for a tramp stamp that read 'tips appreciated' or 'congratulations, you're my one-thousandth customer', and while Kurt had loved the idea, he needed something that wouldn't get him arrested. He also needed something that couldn't be traced back to him, because rooming with Sebastian meant that he had access to Kurt's wardrobe and he was not willing to risk the safety of his clothes.<p>

As he screwed up his fourth piece of paper and chucked it into the trash can, his phone rang. It was his dad calling.

"Hi, dad."

"_Hey kiddo, what's up?"_

"Oh, nothing new since last weekend. Everything ok at home?"

"_Yup, everything's fine. You still butting heads with that Sebastian kid?"_

"Mm, I'm afraid so."

"_Well, I think I may have a solution for you."_

"What's that?"

"_How would you feel about going back to McKinley?"_

"Dad, you know I'd love that, but I thought we agreed that it was too risky? Azimio and the other footballers want my head on a platter."

"_Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Mr Figgins called. He said that he and Mr Karofsky Senior met with the entire time and had a little talk, explained the whole situation and they seemed to have gotten through to those boys at least on some level, even if Figgins had to threaten expulsion. They've agreed to a truce, if you decide you want to return to McKinley."_

Kurt's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Mr Karofsky talked to the team? Does Dave know about that?"

"_He's the one who asked him to do it."_

Kurt inhaled sharply. "Really? I can go back? Just like that?"

"_Just like that."_

"Wow. Um, okay. Yes, I think I'd like that very much."

"_Today's Thursday. Tomorrow could be your last day, if you want."_

Kurt deliberated for a moment. Suddenly, he realised that now was his chance to teach Sebastian a lesson. He could time it _perfectly. _

"Can you maybe give me one more week here? There are some things I've got to take care of first."

"_Sure, kid. Whatever works for you."_

"Thanks, dad."

"_You're welcome. 'Night, Kurt. I love you."_

"Goodnight, dad. Love you too."

As soon as Kurt ended the call, he hit speed-dial. Blaine answered on the second ring.

"_Hey, Kurt! What's up?"_

"Where are you?"

"_Um, in my room catching up on some homework. Why? Did you want to come over?" _Kurt rolled his eyes and grinned at his boyfriend's hopeful tone.

"Yes, but not for the reasons you think, mister. Any chance you can get the awesome foursome to meet us in your room in about ten minutes?"

"_By the 'awesome foursome' you mean Wes, David, Nick and Jeff, right?"_

"Who else?"

Blaine giggled. _"Yeah, sure, okay. Although I have no idea what this is all about. Oh, Dave's here too, by the way." _

"That's fine, he can stay. I think he might want to be a part of this."

Blaine laughed. _"Umm, okay? See you soon, I guess."_

"Please, Blaine, try to sound more excited."

"_I am excited, just confused."_

"Good. TTFN, ta ta for now!"

"_Kurt Hummel, did you just make a Winnie the Pooh reference?" _

"You must be rubbing off on me."

"_I'm doing a lot more than that."_

"_Goodbye, _Blaine."

"_Bye. I love you."_

Kurt grinned deviously as he ended the call. Operation put-Sebastian-Smythe-in-his-place was a-go.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Canon Kurt is a wonderful, amazing person. He is so mature and he always does the right thing. Even when Sebastian tried to blind him, he was still the bigger man about it, and didn't try to get revenge. I have a lot of respect for him for that.**

**I, however, am not that nice. So let's just pretend that having to actually share a room with Sebastian brought out the vengeful side of Kurt Hummel.**

**Sebastian must pay. *evil laugh***

**Also, 200+ reviews and 50,000+ hits. AFJASFHSDFDJFGKASD. ****You guys are the best. *hugs all of you***


	16. Chapter 16

**Road To Love: Chapter 16**

* * *

><p>Kurt showed up at Blaine's room early so he could speak to his boyfriend alone.<p>

"Dave, do you mind giving us five minutes? I just have to talk to Blaine for a sec."

"Sure, no problem," Dave said, heading out of the room.

Blaine sat up on his bed, placing his homework on his bedside table. Kurt walked over to him and sat next to him, leaning over to kiss him softly. Blaine smiled against Kurt's lips.

"Are you gonna tell me what this big meeting thing is all about?"

Kurt chuckled. "Gosh, you're impatient," he teased. "I have some news and I wanted to tell everyone together. Except for you – I thought I'd break it to you first, I don't want you to be upset."

Blaine frowned. "Why would I be upset?"

Kurt took a deep breath, staring at his lap as he talked. "My dad called, and said that Mr Figgins and Dave's dad talked to the footballers who used to bully me. After being threatened with expulsion they agreed to a truce, which means it's safe for me to go back to McKinley. I love you so much, Blaine, and it's been amazing getting to spend time here with you, but I miss living at home with my dad, and I miss my friends. Dalton's been great, but it doesn't feel quite right here. So I told my dad that I'd go back to McKinley after next week. I hope you understand."

Kurt turned to look at Blaine, expecting to see disappointment on his face. However, he didn't look disappointed – he looked happy. He was smiling widely, and although there was a hint of sadness to his smile, it was a good sadness. It was he kind of sadness that meant that he cared about Kurt and would miss him, but he knew that this was what was best.

"I'm sorry," Kurt whispered.

"Don't apologise," Blaine said, shuffling closer to Kurt and wrapping an arm around his waist. "You transferred here because you didn't really have a choice. It has been wonderful having you here, but I could tell that it wasn't really working for you. Dalton doesn't really give you the chance to shine as brightly as you can. You belong at McKinley, with your friends. And as for me, well, we'll still be seeing each other regularly, if not every day. I'm not going to let a little distance get in the way of what we have."

"Have I ever told you that you are actually the_ best_ boyfriend in the entire world?" Kurt asked, moving to climb onto Blaine's lap.

"Mmm, you may have mentioned it," Blaine teased, wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist and pulling him closer, "but feel free to remind me as many times as you like."

Kurt kissed his boyfriend passionately, trying to convey all the love and gratitude he was feeling. Blaine leaned back so that his back was resting on the pillows, Kurt's seated comfortably on his lap with his legs hanging off the edge of the bed.

There was a knock at the door. Kurt broke the kiss reluctantly.

"It's unlocked!" Blaine called, and in came Dave, who looked a little unsure over whether he was actually supposed to be there. He was closely followed by David, Wes, Nick and Jeff.

"Aww, look at you two all cuddly and cute," David cooed.

"Should I go…?" Dave asked, looking a little uncomfortable.

"No, no, it's fine. Please stay," Kurt said, gesturing to Dave's bed. Dave sat down with a grateful smile on his face.

David and Wes promptly plonked themselves down on the bed next to him, and Dave looked at them in surprise.

"Hi," Wes said, extending his hand to Dave. "I'm Wes."

Dave shook the offered hand. "Hi. My name's Dave."

"Me too!" David piped up with a grin. "Well, technically it's David, but I'm guessing Dave is short for David, so it still counts."

"David?"

"Yes, Wes?"

"Nobody cares."

"Bite me."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Wes, David, stop bickering," Kurt said as Nick and Jeff came to sit next to him and Blaine on the bed. They immediately curled up next to each other. Kurt saw Dave look at the boys in surprise and smile.

"Are we having a party?" Nick asked, as Jeff nuzzled into his side.

"Nobody told me this was a party!" David exclaimed. "Should I have brought my M&M stash?"

"Sorry, but this is not a party," Kurt said, ignoring the boys' disappointed groans. "This is an official meeting."

"I'll go get my gavel," Wes said, but before he could stand up, David grabbed his arm to hold him in place.

"So help me Wesley, if you don't stop using that gavel at every given opportunity, I will shove it up your-"

"David, you're just jealous that I get to be the one to man the gavel."

"They only gave it to you because you're a power-hungry little shit."

"Guys, enough!" Blaine said, as David and Wes glared at each other. "I believe Kurt was trying to say something."

"Yes," Kurt said, breathing a sigh of relief. "First things first, I have an announcement to make. I'm transferring back to McKinley."

Cries of disappointment filled the air at Kurt's announcement, and Kurt cringed.

"Guys," Blaine said, his voice stern, "come on. Trust me, I know how awesome Kurt is, but we all know that McKinley is where he belongs."

There were a few mutters from around the room. "I guess you're right," David sighed, pouting. "But I'll miss you, bro."

"We all will," Jeff agreed.

"Thank you," Kurt said, looking at each boy in turn with a grateful and affectionate smile. "I'll miss you all too."

"When are you leaving?" Wes asked.

"Next Friday," Kurt said. "Which brings me to the second reason I called you all here today: I need people who can help me to get revenge on someone by the name of Sebastian Smythe."

The room immediately erupted into excited chatter.

"_What?" _Blaine hissed into Kurt's ear, not angry, but clearly surprised. "Babe, what's going on here?"

"I'll explain in a minute," Kurt whispered back.

"SILENCE!" Wes yelled, and everybody immediately quietened down to listen to him, out of habit if not genuine curiosity. "I would just like to say, Kurt," Wes said, "that you have my full support on this. I can't stand that boy."

"I agree," Nick said. "He's such an arrogant man-whore."

"Don't you mean a 'stupid hoe'?" David piped up, smirking at Nick. Nick threw one of Blaine's pillows at him.

"Guys," Blaine whined, looking a little distraught, "am I missing something here? He's…a little intense, and a tad over-confident, but he's not that bad. He's always been really nice to me."

"That's because he wants to get in your pants, bro," David stated calmly.

Blaine let out an undignified squawk, looking at Kurt in panic. "He does not!"

"Yes, honey, he really does," Kurt stated patiently. "You're very trusting and forgiving and amazingly kind, Blaine, and I absolutely love that about you. You always see the best in people – which, at times, means that you can be completely clueless."

Blaine spluttered, looking completely confused. " But - but why would he even-? He knows that we're together, Kurt."

"I know, but he doesn't seem to care," Kurt said with a frown. "To be honest, he's sort of been hitting on me too, when he's not insulting me - although he seems to be particularly intent on getting to you. You're always really nice and friendly towards him, and I think he actually mistakes it for flirting – he wouldn't be the first person to do so."

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked, looking bewildered.

"Well, for example, the first time you ever met Rachel she thought you might have been flirting with her. But anyway, that's beside the point. What I'm trying to say here is that Sebastian is an ass and we need to teach him a lesson."

"Kurt, I _really _don't think that's necessary -"

"Dave," Kurt said, cutting Blaine off and turning to the other boy, who had been looking on in silence. He jumped slightly at being directly addressed. "Why don't you tell Blaine and the others what you told me?" Kurt asked.

Dave nodded. "Yeah, okay," he said, and he reiterated the entire story again for the boys to hear. There were several angry cries, and by the end of the story, Wes was red-faced with anger and David was muttering violent threats under his breath. Kurt looked over at Blaine to see that he was shaking slightly, his lips pressed together in a tight line.

"Honey?" Kurt asked, squeezing Blaine's body a little. Blaine looked up to meet Kurt's eyes, and nodded his head almost imperceptibly.

"Let's do this," he whispered.

The whole room cheered, and Kurt couldn't help but giggle at their enthusiasm.

"I'm so keen to get this guy," Nick said, grinning. "I hate him so much. The other day I was going to get some canvases from the store room for Mr Brooks, and I saw Sebastian leaving The Attic, and Adam left after him, running down the hall in the opposite direction, and he was crying. I mean, he was _bawling _his eyes out."

"Oh my god," David gasped. "Cute little sophomore Adam? The adorable, sweet, quiet one with the curly brown hair and the enormous eyes? _That _Adam?"

"That's the one," Nick said, and Blaine let out a sad sigh beside Kurt's ear.

"Wait, wait," Kurt said, looking at Nick in confusion. "What do you mean? What attic?"

"Well, it's not actually an attic," Nick explained. "It's this room up on the fifth floor of the East building. The fifth floor is basically just used for storage so hardly anyone ever goes up there. There's this one room that only has a couple of old couches and stuff in it and it's basically never used so a couple of years back, some students stole the key. After that the key got passed around and heaps of students made copies, so now, like, half the student body has a key to this room, which we call The Attic, because 'the place we go to hook up' would be too obvious if the teachers heard us talking about it."

"So…it's like, a sex room?"

Nick snorted. "That's…a gross way of putting it, but yeah. Mostly it's just used by guys who want to sneak their girlfriends up there for a quickie, since the dorm buildings are off-limits to girls. But Sebastian is a sleaze-ball, so no wonder he brings guys up there. I can't believe he'd do that to Adam, though. The kid is seriously one of the nicest guys I've ever met. I don't know what Sebastian said to convince him to sleep with him, but he's just a spoiled brat that goes around hurting people for fun. He _needs _to get some sort of consequence, for once in his life."

Kurt found himself suddenly struck with a wave of inspiration.

"Guys, I think I have an idea," he said with a sly smile. "It will be a long shot, but Sebastian is so cocky that I think he might actually fall for it."

Kurt launched into an explanation of his plan, and by the end of it, the boys were grinning widely, their eyes glinting mischievously. Even Dave looked excited. Blaine, however, was concerned.

"Kurt, I'm not sure I can do this," he said. "I'm not a very good actor."

Kurt snorted. "Bullshit, I've seen the video of your elementary school play. You're a natural."

"That was elementary school!" Blaine whined. "I played a _tree_!"

"A _talking _tree."

"Kurt!"

"Oh, come on, Blaine. Please try?" Kurt pouted.

"Not fair," Blaine mumbled. "You know I can't resist the pout."

Kurt smirked. "So you'll do it?"

Blaine let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "_Fine,"_ he said, and Kurt clapped his hands excitedly.

"Okay, Blaine, I'm going to tell you _exactly _what you need to say. You might want to write this down…"

* * *

><p>Early on Monday morning, Sebastian awoke suddenly to the sound of Kurt crying out in frustration.<p>

"What the _fuck _is your problem, Hummel?" He groaned, pulling his pillow up to cover his ears.

"You would know!" Kurt snapped, marching over to stand by Sebastian's bed and glaring down at him furiously. Then he reached out his hand, and slapped him hard across the face.

"Oh my _god_!" Sebastian yelled, bolting upright and pressing a hand to his stinging cheek. "Did you just _slap me?_"

"Are you happy now?" Kurt yelled, hitting Sebastian over the head.

"Ow!"

"You got what you wanted, congratulations!"

"Jesus, you're such a drama queen – WILL YOU STOP HITTING ME?"

"You stole my boyfriend; I'll hit you as much as I fucking want to!"

"Wait, what?" Sebastian asked as clambered out of his bed, his arms bent over his head to shield himself from Kurt's blows. "What do you mean I stole your…?"

"Blaine broke up with me!" Kurt was crying now, tears streaming down his red face. "He just text me that he doesn't want to be with me anymore, and it's all your fault! I fucking hate you, Sebastian Smythe!"

With that, Kurt turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, still in his pyjamas. He slammed the door loudly behind him, leaving Sebastian alone in the room.

_Holy shit, _Sebastian thought to himself, his head whirring. _Blaine and Kurt broke up. _Then Kurt's words began to sink in, and Sebastian's lips curled up in his signature smirk. _He said it was because of me._

_Blaine is as good as mine._

* * *

><p>Blaine wrung his hands together nervously as he headed down the halls of Dalton Academy on Tuesday afternoon. Classes had finished for the day and he had Warblers practice to attend.<p>

He and Kurt had been over what he had to do several times, he just hoped he could pull it off and maintain _some _semblance of dignity.

He entered the practice hall five minutes late to find all the Warblers already there. They greeted him cheerfully – all except Kurt, who pointedly avoided eye contact, and Sebastian, who looked him up and down like he was a juicy piece of meat.

"Blaine," David said, "I believe you have prepared a number for us?"

Blaine gulped. "That's right," he said, doing his best to arrange his face into a smirk cocky enough to rival Sebastian's.

"Nick, Jeff, care to start me off?"

Once Nick and Jeff began harmonizing, it didn't take long for the rest of the Warblers to pick up on the song and join in. Blaine noticed a few of them look at Kurt with cheeky grins on their faces, obviously thinking that Blaine was about to direct the song at him - which made the next part of what he was about to do even harder.

As Blaine broke into Robin Thicke's _When I Get You Alone_, he forced himself to maintain eye contact with Sebastian as he sang.

The boy's jaw just about hit the floor, before he seemed to get a hold of himself and put his smirk back into place. His eyes glinted dangerously as Blaine did his best to be sexy and flirty, and when he sang the line about _keeping your toys in the drawer tonight_, Sebastian shot a gloating look at Kurt, who was glaring daggers at him from across the room. Blaine felt a stab of rage, but he forced himself to continue, dancing around Sebastian and swaying his hips suggestively.

The Warblers seemed to have caught on to what was happening, and they did _not _look happy. Blaine knew he'd have some explaining to do once this was all over.

Blaine winked at Sebastian as he finished the song, before taking a seat and wishing he could sink into the floor for the rest of the practice.

* * *

><p>"<em>Fuck," <em>Kurt hissed, grinding his hips down onto Blaine's.

Blaine moaned loudly as Kurt licked and sucked at his neck, just softly enough not to leave marks. He tilted his head to the side to give his boyfriend better access.

"That was so hot, Blaine," Kurt said. "Fuck, you did so good."

Blaine whimpered as Kurt nibbled on his ear. "You think he fell for it, then?"

"Are you kidding?" Kurt whispered, pulling at Blaine's tie to loosen it. "There was a puddle of drool in his lap. At least, I think it was drool."

Blaine barked out a laugh, grabbing Kurt's ass and pulling him closer.

"Clothes. Off. Now," Blaine hissed into his boyfriend's ear, scrambling to pull his jacket off his shoulders and tossing it off the side of the bed.

"Mmm," Kurt mumbled against Blaine's collarbone. "You were thinking about me when you sang that song, right?"

Blaine reached down to rub Kurt through his pants, and he let out a high-pitched, needy moan.

"Of course."

* * *

><p>On Wednesday, Blaine saw Sebastian several times in the halls between classes, and each time he made a point of smiling at the boy, hoping that it came across as confident and sexy. The hardest part was not being able to be with Kurt outside of his dorm room, but he knew it would be worth it.<p>

In the evening, Blaine and Kurt found themselves cuddled up in Blaine's bed yet again, relaxing in the afterglow of a couple of amazing orgasms.

As Blaine stroked Kurt's hair, he decided to bring up the thought that had been nagging at him ever since Kurt had told him he was going back to McKinley.

"I think I should transfer to McKinley with you," he blurted out, and he felt Kurt tense in his arms.

His boyfriend tilted his head to look up at him, his glasz eyes wide with shock. "What?"

"Well, I was just thinking," Blaine stammered, "that it seemed like the best solution. I love you. Like, more than anything in the world. I want to be close to you. If I went to McKinley, not only would we be going to the same school, but we'd live so much closer to each other, and I'd get to move back home which would make my mom ecstatic. I don't want to stay here with Sebastian – I mean, sure, our little revenge plot will cut him down a few pegs for a while, but how long will that last? Soon enough he's going to be back to his arrogant self and annoying the crap out of me."

"But what about your friends? The Warblers?"

"I love my friends, but I'll still see them. The Warblers are great, but so are New Directions. And I'm friends with some of them, too."

"I don't want you to leave your friends for me, Blaine."

Blaine sighed and tightened his arm around Kurt, pulling him closer to his chest. "I _want _to do this, Kurt. It feels _right. _Dalton was a safe haven for me after being bullied, but I feel like it's time to move on now. I _want_ to do this, for _me, _because I can't stand to be apart from the person I love."

Kurt's eyes welled up with tears, and he smiled widely, turning over to kiss Blaine deeply.

"Wait, what will your parents say?" He asked when he pulled away.

Blaine bit his lip nervously. "I sort of…already…asked them," he said, leaning in to kiss Kurt again when he opened his mouth to protest. "Don't be mad. I just…I knew what I wanted. My mom agreed immediately. My dad…wasn't exactly happy, but I pulled the whole 'I ran away from my old school because I didn't have the courage to stand up for myself' thing, and after my mom talked to him, I guess he realised that he couldn't keep me here against my will. I'm going home the same day as you."

Kurt's eyes widened. "That soon?"

"Yeah."

"The awesome foursome will be devastated."

Blaine chuckled to himself. "Yeah, they will be. But they'll understand."

"You already told them, didn't you?"

Blaine swallowed guiltily. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be. It was always your decision, not mine."

Blaine kissed the top of Kurt's head. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Kurt sighed, and leaned down to rest his head against Blaine's chest again. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I love you more."

"I love you most."

"I hate you."

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

><p>On Thursday afternoon, Blaine cornered Sebastian after English.<p>

"Hey, babe," Sebastian crooned. "How about you quit playing hard to get and kick Liberace out of your room tonight so I can come over?"

"Sorry," Blaine said, "no can do. Dave won't agree to that, I don't think he likes you very much."

Sebastian snorted. "Wonder why that is."

"No idea. But anyway, we can't do anything in my room. Or yours, obviously."

"Weeell," Sebastian drawled, "in that case, what's say you meet me in The Attic tonight? Seven-ish?"

Blaine shook his head. "History essay. How about tomorrow, as soon as class lets out?"

Sebastian raised his eyebrows for a second before smirking. "Sure," he said. "I'm going to give you the best hour of your life, Anderson." He ran his hand down the length of Blaine's tie, before turning around and sauntering off down the hall.

Blaine shuddered as he pulled out his phone.

**To: Kurt**

_He totally took the bait._

**From: Kurt**

_Really? That easy?_

**To: Kurt**

_Yup. He's so far up himself I don't even know what he needs me for._

**From: Kurt**

_Oh my god. Blaine, that was a terrible joke. Besides, he's definitely a top._

_Did you talk to David and Wes?_

**To: Kurt**

_Yep. The mass text is set to go out at around 3:30. Enough time, do you reckon?_

**From: Kurt**

_Perfect. Meet me in your room after class?_

**To: Kurt**

_You bet ;)_

* * *

><p>When the bell finally rang to signal the end of class on Friday, Blaine's stomach was twisting with nerves. A part of him felt <em>slightly <em>bad for what he was about to do, but then he remembered everything that Sebastian had done to Kurt, and Adam, and the guilt disappeared.

He hid in the bathroom and waited for about ten minutes before his phone buzzed with the text he had been waiting for.

**From: Sebasstard**

_Where are you? I'm waiting…_

**To: Sebasstard**

_I'll be there in five minutes, I'm in the bathroom getting myself ready for you ;) You'd better be naked when I arrive. I've been thinking about riding you all day._

**From: Sebasstard**

_Fuck. I'm hard as a rock. Hurry your sweet ass up._

Blaine rolled his eyes and headed to the mostly-empty staircase that would lead him to The Attic.

When he arrived, he knocked on the door, as was the rule.

"Come in," a voice called. Blaine took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Sebastian was lying sprawled on a large red couch in the middle of the room, facing Blaine. He was completely naked.

Blaine pictured Kurt in his mind, trying to force himself to look turned on. Kurt, beautiful and naked and sweaty, writhing on top of him…

_Yup, _Blaine thought, feeling his mouth go dry with arousal. _That'll just about do it._

Sebastian was smirking at the expression on Blaine's face.

"Are you just going to stand there drooling, Anderson, or are you going to come over here and make good on your promise?"

Blaine slowly walked further into the room, eyes darting around quickly in search of... _Aha!_

Sebastian's clothes were folded neatly on one of the other three couches in the large room. He quickly judged the distance between that couch and the door, and the couch where Sebastian was lying, and he figured that unless Sebastian was an Olympic athlete, he could definitely make it out the door in time. But first, he just wanted to savour the moment a little.

He glanced down at Sebastian who was looking up at him in interest.

"You're such a fucking idiot," Blaine hissed, his face contorting in anger as he dropped the façade. Sebastian blinked up at him in confusion.

"What?"

"You think you can just go around hurting people? Ruining people's lives like they mean nothing? You're fucking pathetic. _Adam McIntosh_, really Sebastian?"

Sebastian looked angry now. "What the fuck are you talking about, Anderson?"

"Not to mention Kurt, oh my god. Did you really think I'd _ever _leave him for _you_? Well, you can go fuck yourself. 'Cos I'm sure as hell not doing it."

With that, Blaine ran. He sprinted the few short steps over to the couch, gathered Sebastian's clothes up in his arms, and bolted for the door.

He heard Sebastian shouting angry obscenities behind him, but he made it out the door, and sprinted down the hall. He knew Sebastian wouldn't have followed him out of The Attic in the nude, but he ran down the first flight of stairs anyway just to be sure.

Kurt was there to meet him when he got to the bottom. When he saw him, his face split into a wide grin.

"Success?" He asked, and Blaine nodded.

"God, that was nauseating. You'll be glad to know that he definitely _does not _live up to his reputation."

Kurt burst into laughter, and Blaine found himself laughing too, and soon they were doubled over and clutching at their sides, tears streaming down their faces.

"What's the time?" Blaine managed to gasp once he'd regained his composure.

"3:28. Two more minutes. You want to go back up and watch the show?"

Blaine contemplated for a moment, before wrinkling up his nose and shaking his head. "Nah, I've seen more than enough of Sebastian for today. Let's go pack, and then head off. You've already said goodbye to the others, right?"

"Yup. And I've packed everything already. Have _you_ had time to say your goodbyes?"

"I'll come back to say my proper goodbyes to the Warblers sometime next week. But I'll see if I can find the awesome foursome before we go."

Kurt smiled. "Okay. I'll take our stuff out to the car."

"Okay, I'll see you soon."

Blaine kissed Kurt on the cheek before heading off to find his friends.

* * *

><p>At 3:30, David sent a mass text to the entire school.<p>

_Impromptu Warblers performance in 10mins in The Attic – weird location I know, but trust me, you want to be there for this one!_

He grinned as he sent the text, and looked over at Wes, Nick and Jeff who were seated next to him on the couch. They all burst into laughter.

"Oh god," David wheezed, clutching at his side. "I feel kind of bad. How long should we give it before we rescue him?"

"_At least _ten minutes," Jeff said, wiping at the tears streaming from his eyes.

As the boys headed out into the hall, pushing past the students all rushing up to The Attic for the 'Warbler's performance', they ran into Blaine just outside the door.

"I just wanted to say goodbye really quickly," Blaine said. "I know I'll see you guys and this weekend, but it felt weird just taking off. Thank you so much for everything. You guys have been amazing friends, and even though I'm moving to a new school, I'll always remember the good times we shared here. I couldn't have asked for better friends. I love you, guys."

David sniffed and wiped at his eyes. "We love you too, buddy," he choked, his voice thick with unshed tears.

"You take care of yourself at McKinley, you hear?" Wes said, reaching out to pull Blaine into a hug. Then the others all joined in, and all five of them were clinging to each other and crying in the middle of the hallway full of students.

"Ok," Blaine said after several minutes, finally breaking away and wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "Ok. I gotta go, Kurt's waiting."

And with a final wave and a teary-eyed smile, Blaine Anderson turned around and left, walking down the hall as a Dalton Academy student for the last time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter tbh, when I was writing it it felt a little...forced, I guess. I hope you guys think it's ok.**

**I apologise for the late update, but I started back at Uni this week and I completely forgot how much of my time it occupies. Since school comes first, I can't necessarily guarantee weekly updates anymore, but I will do my very best to update as quickly as possible. There aren't many chapters left now, probably 2 or 3 plus an epilogue. Although I have a new fic idea in mind for when this is done...**

**I almost felt a bit bad for publically humiliating Sebastian in this chapter, considering his remarkable change of heart in the last episode. BUT, considering the fact that he pretty much tried to _blind _my precious Kurt, I think a little embarrassment was in order.**

**Speaking of the last episode, wasn't it amazing? I cried buckets. Max Adler was fantastic., and I have listened to 'Cough Syrup' so many times it's ridiculous. ****Glee is so good this season, I can't even...**

**Anyways, thank you all for reading, and for your feedback! :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Please note that in this fic, Blaine is the same year as Kurt. Because the whole 'blaine-is-a-junior' thing was total bullshit.**

* * *

><p><strong>Road To Love: Chapter 17<strong>

* * *

><p>On Monday, Blaine arrived at McKinley High in the late morning so he could pick up his timetable and Student ID card from the office before his afternoon classes. As he drove into the parking lot, he spotted Kurt waiting for him by the front entrance of the school, and his face lit up. He parked his car and quickly checked his reflection in the rear-view mirror, making sure that his bowtie was straight and his hair was still gelled in place before grabbing his shoulder-bag and climbing out of the car.<p>

Kurt met him half-way to the entrance, bouncing on his toes excitedly.

"I'm so glad you're here with me," he said, a wide smile on his face as he pecked Blaine on the lips and clasped his hand before leading him into the school. "Mercedes is the only one who knows I'm coming back– this should be fun."

Once all the paperwork was sorted out, Kurt and Blaine headed out to the Quad, where most of the students gathered for lunch when it was warm outside. Blaine spotted Kurt's friends from New Directions seated around a table at the bottom of the stairs, and Kurt quickly pulled his phone and sent a text. A moment later Mercedes pulled her phone out of her pocket and grinned down at the screen.

"Well, my fellow Glee Clubbers," Mercedes announced loudly, and those seated around the table looked up at her in interest. "It's noon. Which means, it's official."

"What's official?" Sam asked.

"My transfer!" Kurt yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth as the attention of all the students suddenly turned to him. "Kurt Hummel's back at McKinley!"

Kurt threw his hands up in the air as he made the announcement, and Blaine laughed at his side as Kurt grabbed his hand to pull him down the stairs towards his friends, who were cheering and clapping below.

Soon they were all hugging Kurt and clapping him on the back enthusiastically, and Blaine felt suddenly emotional when they hugged him too, and welcomed him to the school.

"Kurt, Blaine," Mercedes said, "there's a reason I asked you guys to meet me here today. There's some people who wanted to say goodbye to you."

Blaine spotted some familiar blue and red blazers at the top of the stairs, and gasped in surprise as the Warblers made their way down. He turned to Kurt, who looked equally shocked.

Nick stood at the front of the group, smiling down at Kurt and Blaine as the boys approached. "Kurt, Blaine," he said, nodding to each of them in turn, "Dalton's going to miss you. Blaine, you have served as The Warblers' wonderful lead singer for several years now, and I don't know what we'll do without you. Kurt, you were a great addition to the Warblers, and you made us a better team. We're sad to see you go, but we know this is something that you both want. Some of us will still get to see you guys on the weekends, but most of these guys probably won't, so we wanted to say goodbye."

"And thank you," Wes interjected, smiling sadly down at the boys.

Then suddenly Blaine and Kurt were being serenaded with Keane's _Somewhere Only We Know_, and Blaine blinked as tears threatened to slip from his eyes, blurring the faces of his friends as they swayed and sang, their voices filled with honestly and caring. Nick had taken the lead, and he was singing the song beautifully.

At the end of the song, the Warblers all descended on Kurt and Blaine to hug them and wish them all the best. Sebastian, to nobody's surprise, was not present.

Wes, David, Nick and Jeff went last, and clung to both the boys a little tighter and for a little longer.

As sad as it was to say goodbye to his friends, Blaine felt like this was the closure that he needed to really start his new life with Kurt at McKinley. It was as if the Warblers had given him his blessing, and it meant the world to him.

* * *

><p>Much to Blaine's surprise, he survived his first week at McKinley unscathed.<p>

Neither he nor Kurt were slushied, and they also managed to avoid being shoved or insulted in the halls. Although they received some dirty looks when they held hands, it was nothing they couldn't deal with. Blaine had no idea what Mr Figgins had said to the footballers, but it had definitely worked.

Blaine joined New Directions immediately, and found that he fit in remarkably well, and he picked up his first solo before the end of his first week. He was also quite pleased to find that classes were significantly easier at McKinley than they were at Dalton. Kurt was the kind of person to enjoy a challenge, and he often complained about his classes being too easy and boring. Blaine, on the other hand, found that after three years of slaving away at Dalton, he was really enjoying the opportunity to sit back and relax a little.

As the weeks progressed, Blaine only became happier. He quickly became very close with everyone in New Directions. He and Kurt saw each other every day – at school, after school during Glee practice, _and _every weekend at the garage. Blaine was in heaven – he simply loved spending time with his boyfriend. Every morning he thought to himself '_I couldn't possibly be more in love with him'_, and every evening, he proved himself wrong once again.

Kurt and Blaine, true to their word, made a point of catching up with the awesome foursome regularly. Blaine also went back to visit the Warblers a couple of times, just to make sure that nobody was killing each other over arguments about blazer piping. He needn't have worried, though – it seemed that everybody was doing wonderfully.

Blaine found that things at home had also improved since his transfer. His mom was overjoyed to have him home, and every evening for at least half an hour they would sit in the conservatory, drinking tea (occasionally wine, if his mom was feeling generous) and catching up/gossiping. Blaine's dad also seemed to be quite happy about having his son home, much to Blaine's surprise. He made a point of ensuring that everything was okay going well for Blaine at McKinley, and he often offered to help Blaine with his homework. Even though Blaine didn't need the help, he usually accepted, because it was so nice to be able to sit and talk with his dad without fighting. Blaine was shocked when his dad even helped him to choose some of the songs for his Glee club assignments, and then listened with a smile on his face as Blaine sung them.

The happiness that Blaine was feeling made time fly by and before he knew it, several months had passed and New Directions were about to go to New York for Nationals.

Kurt was extremely excited about the trip, and in the week leading up to their departure, Blaine could hardly get him to sit still.

On the Sunday afternoon two days before the trip, Kurt and Blaine were seated in the Hummel's living room, drinking ice tea and talking about New York. Well, Kurt was talking – Blaine was just listening, and trying to get his boyfriend to calm down for five minutes.

"Oh my god, Blaine, and we _have _to go see the statue of liberty at some point, that's like _the _New-York-tourist thing to do. And you should see the _shops _there, Blaine – I mean of course, I've never been, but I've heard they're amazing. And then there's Broadway, of course - "

"Kurt, Kurt," Blaine said, reaching a hand out to cover Kurt's mouth. Kurt let out an affronted squeak. "Shhh. Calm down."

Kurt blinked at him, and then Blaine felt something wet tickling his palm. "Oh my god!" He cried, snatching his hand back from Kurt's grinning mouth. "Did you just _lick _me?"

Kurt smirked at him. "Never heard you complain before."

Blaine rolled his eyes, but smiled despite himself. "Very mature, Hummel. Look, I just wanted to say that -"

"Babe, hold that thought," Kurt said, getting up from the couch. "I have to use the bathroom."

"_What? _But you _just _went, like, ten minutes ago."

"I know, Blaine, but when I get excited and/or nervous, I have to pee constantly."

"You've been excited and nervous for the past five days, though."

"I know. It's very inconvenient."

Blaine sighed and waited for Kurt to get back from the bathroom before seizing the chance to speak before Kurt went off on another spiel about New York.

"Kurt, why are you so anxious? It can't just be excitement about seeing a new city. What's going on?"

Kurt bit his lip nervously before responding. "Okay," he said, and Blaine could see him thinking carefully about exactly which words to use, "the thing is, Rachel and I…we want to be in musical theatre. It was always my dream to end up on Broadway. And…well, we both _really _want to go to college in New York. We went to see Miss Pillsbury the other day to talk about it, and she said that there's this school that would be perfect for us. The New York Academy of Dramatic Arts, or NYADA for short. It's really hard to get into, but I'm going to do everything I can to get in – and even if I don't make the cut and have to find another school, I really want to go to New York after I graduate."

Blaine blinked at his boyfriend. He sounded scared and nervous, as though he was expecting Blaine to react badly, but it wasn't like he was surprised. He had witnessed Kurt's passion for Broadway first-hand, and he was, without a doubt, talented enough to become a star. He had always assumed that Kurt would want to go to college in New York, it just seemed like the logical thing for him to do. Ohio couldn't contain him – it was far too small, and boring, and ordinary. New York was expansive, and vibrant, and exciting, and _alive. _Just like Kurt.

"Kurt," Blaine said, "I figured you'd want to go to New York. That's where you should be. But that still doesn't explain why you seem so…_anxious_."

"Well," Kurt said, taking a deep breath, "I have a pretty big question to ask you. Blaine, as you know, you are the love of my life. I know we're young, but I want to be with you forever, and you've told me that you want that too. Breaking up with you is not an option for me, which is why I'm scared of what you're about to say. Now, before I ask this, I want you to know that you don't have to say yes – we have other options. We could try long-distance, or I could just…wait, for a while, before going to New York…it wouldn't be ideal, but I don't want you to do something you don't want to do just because you feel like you have an obligation to me. But, Blaine, what I'm asking is…will you move to New York with me after we graduate?"

Blaine paused for a moment as he absorbed Kurt's words, and then he felt himself breaking out into a huge grin as his body relaxed with feelings of happiness and relief. "_Of course _I will, you silly goose," he said. "I'll go wherever you go. Besides, it's not like I'm particularly attached to Ohio – I always knew I'd go to college out of state."

Kurt's jaw dropped, and then suddenly he was throwing himself into Blaine's arms. Blaine let out a surprised squawk, and then Kurt was kissing him all over his face.

"We're going to New York together," Kurt whispered, clinging to Blaine tightly. "We're going to _live _there, oh my god. I was so nervous about this trip, I mean, what if you hated New York and never wanted to go there again?"

"Shhh," Blaine said, kissing Kurt's cheek lovingly. "You worry too much. I can't _wait _to move to New York with you after we graduate. And, for now, we'll have a chance to explore our future home together in just a couple of days."

"Oh my god," Kurt groaned. "There's so much I want to see and do, but we're not going to have anywhere near enough time to do all of it!"

Blaine grinned. "You might be surprised."

* * *

><p>When Blaine arrived home that evening, he dashed up to his room and logged onto his email account, smiling when he saw the response to the email he had sent two days prior.<p>

_BLAINERS!_

_Where the fuck have you been? It's been, like, a month since I've heard from you. Not cool. Texting doesn't count, we need to resume our usual Skype-sessions. I like watching you get progressively uglier and more hairy._

_Anyways, I am totally keen to meet Kurt, and to be the mastermind behind your overly-ambitious endeavours. You know my address – come around at 9am on Friday morning and I'll have everything sorted! Wear something comfortable, and don't even bother trying to give me money – I'm super rich now, I've got it covered ;)_

_Love you bro!_

_Cooper_

Blaine typed out a hasty reply confirming the date and thanking his brother for everything he had done to help.

That night, he had a dream that he and Kurt made love on an empty Broadway stage. It was a good dream.

* * *

><p>Three days later, Kurt clasped Blaine's hand tightly, staring out of the window of the plane at the vastness of New York City sprawled below them and pointing out all the significant landmarks that he recognised. When they landed, he was one of the first to his feet, eager to get off the plane and step into the city of his dreams.<p>

On the bus ride to the hotel, Kurt had his face pressed up against the window, excitedly pointing out every interesting thing that he saw as they drove, and not even caring when Blaine laughed at him.

"Oh my god, Blaine, look at all the buildings!"

"Blaine, Blaine, look! Those two guys are holding hands, just walking down the street! This place is awesome!"

"Look at all the designer boutiques! Blaine, this city is perfect!"

"Oh my god, is that man wearing any pants?"

"A DISNEY STORE!"

And so it continued until Blaine eventually kissed Kurt to keep his mouth occupied and provide him with a distraction lest he get too worked up, because the last thing Blaine needed was for Kurt to get tired and fizzle out before they even got to experience the city first-hand.

When the bus reached the hotel, the kids swarmed in, and rushed upstairs to their rooms to claim the best beds. Girls were assigned to one room and boys to another, which was totally fine with Kurt and Blaine, because the beds were large enough for two people to sleep comfortably if they didn't mind cuddling up to each other – which was, of course, their favourite way to fall asleep.

After the bed assignment mission was over, everybody gathered in the girls' room. Mr Schue put them under lockdown until they finished writing two more songs for Nationals, and Blaine couldn't help but think that it was a little weird to wait until they were mere days away from the competition to write the songs. Thankfully, Quinn suggested that they disobey Mr Schue's orders and escape the room for a while to explore the city, convinced that it would provide them with the artistic inspiration needed to write their songs. After a day of frolicking around the city and singing and taking in the amazing sights, inspiration did indeed strike, and when the kids got back to the hotel later that afternoon the songs were written within a couple of hours, and they didn't even get caught by Mr Schue.

The next day the boys invited Kurt and Blaine to go to a baseball game. Kurt didn't want to go, and Blaine wasn't a huge fan either, but Kurt encouraged him to spend some time with the boys because he and Rachel had a few things to take care of. So Blaine agreed to tag along, and actually ended up having a lot more fun than he had originally anticipated.

When Kurt returned to the hotel room later that evening positively glowing with happiness, Blaine was alone in the room, as the rest of the guys were downstairs seeing if they could get the bartender to serve them alcohol. Blaine was lying sprawled on his and Kurt's bed with his laptop, and was in the process of updating his Facebook status when he spotted Kurt. He immediately closed his laptop and shoved it under the bed, grinning at his boyfriend from across the room. Kurt approached the bed and as soon as he was within range Blaine grabbed his wrist and yanked him forwards, eliciting a surprised (and totally adorable) squeak.

Blaine quickly rolled on top of Kurt so that he was trapped beneath him on the bed, and then he kissed him several times. Kurt didn't protest.

"You seem happy," Blaine whispered, pulling away slightly so he could take in the entirety of his boyfriend's beautiful face. "How was your day, my love?"

"Oh, Blaine," Kurt said, letting out a dreamy sigh. "It was amazing. Rachel and I had breakfast at Tiffany's, and then we snuck into the Gershwin Theatre and sang 'For Good'…it was so amazing, Blaine. I wish you'd been there to see it."

Blaine smiled and kissed the tip of Kurt's nose. "As wonderful as it sounds, I think it's nice that it was just you and Rachel. I've noticed how close you guys are."

"Yeah. It wasn't always like this, but over the years, we've grown to love each other. I should warn you though, I think she has her heart set on being our roommate when we move out here."

Blaine winced. "Well…I guess rent in New York _is _pretty steep. I could get used to her constant presence…maybe. I'll need to invest in some earplugs."

Kurt giggled, and Blaine leaned in to kiss him again. Suddenly, the door was flung open and the rest of the boys walked in, stopping short when they caught sight of Blaine still lying on top of Kurt on the bed.

Kurt and Blaine whipped their heads around in surprise and annoyance, and Puck coughed awkwardly. "Are we…umm…interrupting something?" he asked, and Blaine noticed the subtle smirk on his face.

"No, you are not," Kurt snapped. "Blaine and I are not going to have sex in a hotel room that we share with a bunch of boys who could walk in at any time, thank you very much."

"Really?" Puck asked, his smirk widening. "'Cos I wouldn't put it past you. Remember at that party, when you -"

"OKAY, LET'S NOT BRING THAT UP!" Finn yelled, and Blaine shot him a grateful glance as he scrambled off Kurt, his boyfriend's face reddening as he shot Puck a death glare so intense that it would leave Voldemort trembling with fear.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kurt found himself being woken up early by Blaine, who was placing soft kisses to various parts of his face and neck.<p>

"Baby, wake up," he whispered, nuzzling into Kurt's side. "We need to go."

"Mmm, where we goin'?" Kurt mumbled, still half asleep.

"It's a surprise. Come on, put on something fabulous but comfortable and we'll grab some breakfast and then head out." He nibbled on Kurt's earlobe for good measure.

"Okay, okay," Kurt said, smiling despite himself. "I'm up."

* * *

><p>An hour and a half later, Kurt and Blaine arrived outside an extremely fancy high-rise building. Blaine paid the cab driver and grabbed Kurt's hand, leading him into the building. "What's in this building?" Kurt asked.<p>

"Luxury penthouses," Blaine responded.

Kurt nodded, not bothering to ask any further questions – he had tried during the drive over, but Blaine had adamantly refused to spill the beans. "It's a surprise," he'd said. "You'll see."

The elevator took them to one of the highest levels of the building. Blaine rang the doorbell of one of the apartments, and Kurt stood slightly behind him, looking confused. Suddenly, the door was flung open.

Kurt gasped in surprise when he recognised the man standing in the doorway. Shortly after they had first started dating, Blaine had shown Kurt an old photograph from when he was about five years old, standing next to his older brother, Cooper.

The first thing that Kurt registered was that attractiveness must run in the Anderson family, because Cooper was definitely easy on the eyes. He had a strong jawline and piercing blue eyes, and his hair was a lighter brown than Blaine's (whose hair was almost black), and wavy instead of curly. He was also considerably taller than Blaine. Despite these differences, however, they had similar strong features, and while the family resemblance wasn't extremely strong, it was there.

"Blaine!" Cooper exclaimed, pulling his brother into an enthusiastic hug. "It's so good to see you, little bro. I'd like to say that you've grown, but…" Blaine laughed as he pulled away from his brother, smacking him playfully on the arm.

"Nice to see you too, Coop."

Cooper ruffled his brother's hair before turning his attention to Kurt. His face broke into a cheeky grin that Kurt recognised all too well.

"And you must be Kurt."

Suddenly Kurt found himself being hoisted off the floor and pulled into a bone-crushing hug. Blaine laughed loudly, but Kurt was too shocked to say anything.

"Nice to meet you," he wheezed once he had finally been released, attempting to regain the breath that had been squeezed out of him.

"Blaine, he's adorable," Cooper teased, reaching out a finger to boop Kurt on the nose.

Kurt flushed and swatted Cooper's hand away, attempting to muster a threatening glare. "I am _not _a child," he muttered, and Cooper's eyes glinted mischievously.

"Oooh, that reminds me!" He said, grabbing Kurt's hand and dragging him into the apartment, "You have to see Blaine's baby pictures! It's my job, as his big brother, to embarrass him in front of his boyfriends. Here, sit down," Cooper said as he pushed Kurt onto a large white leather sofa. "I'll be right back."

Blaine sat down next to Kurt, his face bright red. "I'm so sorry," he groaned. "I love him, I really do, but he's a tad…eccentric."

Kurt giggled. "I think he's just trying to embarrass you."

"Probably. That seems to be his life mission."

Kurt let his eyes roam around the apartment, and he thought he may have drooled a little bit. "Blaine, this place is amazing," he fawned, his voice full of awe and wonder as he took in the incredibly expensive leather furnishings, the huge flat-screen TV on the wall, and the floor-to-ceiling windows that provided a breath-taking view of the city.

"Yeah," Blaine said, "Coop's a lawyer. A really, really successful one. He went to Harvard Law School and he's never lost a case."

"_Wow," _Kurt said, eyes widening. "And I thought lawyers were supposed to be really serious and generally unlikeable."

Blaine laughed. "Coop likes to surprise people. He's not one to conform to stereotypes."

At this point Cooper returned, a huge photo album in his hand. He squeezed his way in-between Kurt and Blaine on the couch, despite Blaine's protests, and opened the photo album.

"Oh my god!" Kurt squealed when he caught side of baby Blaine. He snatched the photo album away from Cooper and Blaine groaned while his brother laughed at his expense.

Blaine looked to be about 1-2 years of age in the photo, and he was the most adorable baby Kurt had ever seen. He was chubbier than your average baby, and he was sitting on the floor, clad only in a nappy. His mouth and hands were smeared in melted chocolate as he grinned at the camera. His head was covered in thick dark curls, and his large golden-hazel eyes harboured the same cheeky sparkle that Kurt had become very used to over the last few months.

"Blaine, you are absolutely the most adorable baby I have ever seen!" Kurt cooed. "Look at your chubby little cheeks!"

Cooper chuckled. "Turn the page," he said, and when Kurt complied, he was greeted with a picture of a butt-naked toddler Blaine on the beach, smiling and running away from a young Cooper who was chasing after him, a pair of small swimming trunks in his hand. Kurt roared with laughter, and Blaine reached over and swiped the album from his lap, blushing furiously.

"I think that's enough of that," Blaine said, glaring at Cooper. His brother reached out and ruffled his hair once again.

"Aww, are you embarrassed that Kurt saw your widdle diddle? For his sake, I hope it's grown since then."

Blaine smacked his brother upside the head, while Kurt cackled with laughter.

"Ahhh! Abuse!" Cooper yelled, grabbing Blaine's arms and pulling him into a tight embrace to trap his arms at his sides. Blaine struggled for a few seconds before relenting with an annoyed huff.

"Fine, you win this round," he said, glaring at a giggling Kurt over Cooper's shoulder. "Now will you kindly let go of me?"

Cooper released him, and Blaine got to his feet. "Now that you two have finished ganging up on me," he said, "Shouldn't Kurt and I need to be heading off soon, Coop?" He glanced at his watch.

"Oh, yeah," Cooper said. "Hang on a sec."

He quickly ran out of the room and returned a few seconds later with a brown manila folder. "Here's your itinerary, tickets, brochures, et cetera," he said, shoving the folder into Blaine's hands. "Joseph should be here any second now."

Right on cue, Cooper's cellphone beeped, and he pulled it out of his pocket and checked it quickly.

"Always punctual, that guy," he said, grinning. "Well, have fun you two! I'll see you both again at your competition."

"Wait," Kurt said, brow furrowed in confusion, "what's going on? Who's Joseph, and why does Blaine need that?" He gestured to the folder in his Blaine's hands.

"You should ask your boyfriend," Cooper said, and with that he was quickly hustling them both out of the living room and through the front door. "Bye! Have fun!" He said cheerily, before shutting the door behind them.

"Come on," Blaine said, grabbing Kurt's hand and leading him to the elevator, hitting the button for the ground floor.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

Blaine grinned at him, eyes twinkling with excitement. "Kurt Hummel," he said, squeezing his hand, "You and I are about to have the ultimate New York experience. In one day."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I based Cooper on the general Tumblr consensus of what he will be like, personality-wise. If he's some kind of super-serious, conservative asshole on the show, I will be seriously pissed off. Here's hoping that he'll be awesome!**

**Also, thank you guys for being so patient with me! Uni is kicking my ass right now :(**

**Love you guys, thank you so much for all your kind words :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Road To Love: Chapter 18**

* * *

><p>As soon as Kurt and Blaine exited the building, they were greeted by a tall man with a rather impressive moustache and a strong British accent. "Hi, Mr Anderson and Mr Hummel," he said, shaking their hands. "I'm Joseph, and I'll be your chauffeur for the day. This way, please."<p>

Joseph led them over to a shiny black lexus, and while Kurt was impressed, Blaine just rolled his eyes and muttered "show-off" under his breath.

The minute they were in the car, Kurt began hounding Blaine with questions.

"Where are we going?"

"How long is this going to take?"

"Why won't you tell me anything?"

Eventually Blaine ended up grabbing Kurt's face in his hands and kissing him passionately, eliciting a surprised squeak from his boyfriend.

"Blaine, I know you're just doing that to shut me up," Kurt said with a pout when Blaine finally pulled away.

"Are you complaining?" Blaine asked, smirking when Kurt's already flushed cheeks reddened further.

"Yes."

"You love my kisses, just admit it."

"Be that as it may, I want to know – mmmph!"

Blaine kissed him again, and this time Kurt just went with it, because he honestly didn't have much self-control when it came to Blaine's mouth.

After about half an hour of driving (it would only have been about five minutes with clear roads, but New York traffic was horrendous), they arrived at the bottom of a high-rise building even taller than the one where Cooper lived.

Blaine pulled Kurt out of the car excitedly and dragged him into the building, and once they got into the elevator Blaine pressed the button to the highest floor.

"You're going to love this," he said, grinning at Kurt. "At least, I really hope you'll love it, and if you don't, please pretend you do or I think I might cry."

Kurt giggled. "Pretend to love it. Got it."

When the boys got out of the elevator, Blaine led Kurt to a small staircase. Kurt frowned. "I thought this was the top floor?"

"It is," Blaine said smugly. "We're going to the roof."

Blaine opened the door at the top of the stairs and Kurt immediately pressed his hands to ears as he was struck by a sudden blast of loud noise. He followed Blaine up onto the flat concrete surface of the roof, only to find a helicopter parked there, propellers whirring.

A cheerful middle-aged man climbed out of the helicopter and approached them. "BLAINE ANDERSON AND KURT HUMMEL?" He called over the loud whirring of the helicopter.

"THAT'S US!" Blaine said, turning to grin at Kurt.

Kurt gasped as he realised exactly what was going on. "BLAINE, ARE WE GETTING IN THERE?" He asked, pointing at the helicopter.

"YUP!" Blaine responded, grabbing Kurt's hand and pulling him towards the helicopter. "COME ON!"

Once the boys were in the helicopter and the doors were closed, the enthusiastic pilot handed them communicating headsets and earmuffs before telling them to fasten their seatbelts and enjoy the trip.

"We didn't have enough time to take you to see all the famous New York landmarks individually," Blaine said, grinning over at his boyfriend, "So we're taking an aerial tour. You can see it all in just twenty minutes, and you also get to fly in a helicopter, which is pretty awesome if I do say so myself."

Kurt laughed loudly, eyes twinkling with excitement. He grabbed Blaine's face and pulled him in for a rough kiss, not caring that the pilot was right there. "This is the best surprise ever, and I'm _not _just pretending. I love it. Thank you."

"Who said the surprise ends with the tour?" Blaine asked, winking at Kurt. Kurt gawped at his boyfriend, unsure of what else he could possibly have planned. He was about to respond when the pilot informed them that they were taking off now, and Kurt squealed in excitement and immediately turned to press his face against the glass window of the helicopter as it rose into the air and began soaring over the city.

In the bus, Kurt hadn't been able to shut up as he pointed out all the interesting things he saw in the new city. Now, he was stumped for words. He gazed out at the vast city spread out below him, mouth open in awe and wonder, and he felt his eyes prick with joyful tears as it fully set in that he was looking at his future home. _Their _future home. The thought was a little overwhelming.

Blaine leaned over Kurt's shoulder so he could see what Kurt was seeing, despite the fact that it would be much easier for him to look out of his own window. Kurt pulled Blaine closer to his side and rested his head on his shoulder as they looked down, hands clasped tightly between them. "I see why they call it the concrete jungle," Blaine whispered, and Kurt looked up at him.

"Having second thoughts about moving here with me?"

"Not one."

* * *

><p>Kurt's temporary speechlessness ended as soon as they landed. He suddenly found himself with a serious case of word vomit. He was so busy talking about everything that they'd seen that he didn't even register the fact that Blaine had led him back down the building and into Joseph's car until they were on the road once again.<p>

"I'm sorry," Kurt said, blushing. "I didn't realise how much I've been talking."

Blaine just gazed at him adoringly. "It's ok," he said. "I'm just really glad that you liked it. You're adorable when you get excited."

Kurt smiled. "So I'm guessing you're not going to tell me where you're taking me next?"

"Nope."

* * *

><p>The car soon slowed down and pulled over at the side of a quiet and somewhat dilapidated street. "Lunch time!" Blaine said.<p>

Kurt quirked an eyebrow. "What, no fancy five-star restaurant?"

"That's for tonight," Blaine said with a grin. "Don't be so quick to judge based on appearances, my dear."

They climbed out of the car and walked down the street before Blaine pushed open a heavy wooden door of what looked like a run-down bookstore. He held the door open for Kurt, and as soon as he entered the room, Kurt was met with warm air and the delightful scent of coffee and good food. "Wow," he gasped, looking around.

The shop was large and warmly lit, filled with antique wooden tables and couches. The walls were all surrounded by stacked bookshelves, and there were a few young people seated at the tables (college students, by the looks of it) reading books and sipping coffee and laughing with their friends. There was a serving counter at the left side of the room where the baristas were making coffee, and a large blackboard menu displayed a wide selection of meal choices written in colourful, curling letters.

"Oh my god," Kurt said, "Blaine, this is the most adorable café I've ever seen. How did you find this place?"

"I asked Cooper where the best place to get coffee in New York was, and he recommended this place. He said they make amazing pasta, too."

The boys took a seat at a table in the corner, and a bright and cheery waitress immediately came over and took their drink orders. "A medium drip and Grande non-fat Mocha, please," Blaine said with a smile.

Kurt couldn't stop looking around the shop. "So does this place call itself a bookstore or a café?"

"I believe it is a 'book café'. Like an internet café, but better. The books aren't for sale; they're just here to provide reading material and ambience."

"I love it."

The waitress returned shortly with their coffees, and the boys ordered their lunch. As soon as Kurt took a sip of his coffee his eyes rolled back in his head and he let out a low moan that would have been considered obscene in any other setting. Blaine nearly choked on his coffee.

"Blaine, this coffee is _amazing,_" Kurt said, taking another sip. "If I could have sex with this cup of coffee, I would."

Blaine mock-pouted. "I'm better than a cup of coffee!"

"Not this coffee."

"Hey!"

A few minutes later their pasta dishes arrived, eliciting several more moans from Kurt. By the end of the meal Blaine's pants were feeling uncomfortably tight.

"Ok, I'm done," Kurt said, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "Blaine? Are you ready to go?"

"Give me a sec," Blaine mumbled, shifting in his seat. Kurt's eyebrows shot up in his head.

"Blaine…what…?"

"The sounds you were making, Kurt, come on – I'm only human!"

Kurt burst into laughter, and Blaine glared at his boyfriend as he clutched at his sides, wiping tears from his eyes.

After a few minutes Blaine was ready to go, and Kurt smirked as he took his hand and led him from the café, chuckling at the childish pout on Blaine's face.

As they headed back down the street to where the car was parked, Kurt leaned over to whisper in his boyfriend's ear. "I'd offer to blow you in the car, baby, but I don't think Joseph would appreciate that too much."

Blaine groaned as he opened the car door for Kurt to climb in, grumbling about sexual frustration and pasta.

* * *

><p>It wasn't long before they arrived at their next stop. Blaine seemed particularly excited about this one, and his eyes were sparkling with excitement as the car stopped. He quickly ushered Kurt into a shop before Kurt even had a chance to read the sign above the door.<p>

Upon entering, Kurt gasped when he realised that he was in a pet store. But not just any pet store – this pet store was _huge. _The sound of yips and barks filled the air, and as Kurt looked around, he noticed that in the middle of the huge a room was a large fenced-off area that was filled with puppies of varying breeds. They were scampering around the floor freely, and playing with children and adults alike, who seemed to be able to enter the fenced-off area at their leisure.

"Isn't it awesome?" Blaine asked, turning to Kurt, hopping from foot to foot in anticipation. "_Puppies, _Kurt! Dozens of puppies and we get to play with all of them! It's like a puppy petting zoo! I mean, you never actually said anything about liking puppies, but _everyone _likes puppies, right? Oh god, you do like puppies, don't you?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow, regarding his boyfriend with amusement. "Well, I like you, don't I?"

Blaine giggled and practically dragged Kurt over to the fenced area, stopping in front of a gate where a worker was standing guard.

"Hi, guys," he said, grinning at Kurt and Blaine. "Feel free to play with the puppies, but please be gentle with them and don't feed them. All our puppies are up for adoption and they are wearing numbered collars, so if you want to buy one, you can inquire about it at the front desk. Have fun!"

With that, he opened the gate and allowed them in, quickly shutting it behind them to prevent any of the puppies from escaping. As soon as they were inside, about 10 puppies scampered over to them and began hopping around excitedly, yapping and wagging their tails. Kurt and Blaine immediately sat down on the floor and began playing with the puppies, scratching them behind the ears and rubbing their tummies, cooing in delight at how adorable they all were.

Kurt and Blaine immediately took a liking to a tiny Pug puppy – a male, by the looks of things. He was one of the more excitable ones of the bunch, and he and Kurt were playing a game – Kurt would pretend to be totally captivated by one of the other puppies, and in the meantime, the cheeky Pug would sneak up on him and launch himself into Kurt's lap, effectively ending any playtime with the other dogs. Kurt thought his jealousy was absolutely adorable.

After about an hour, Blaine looked at his watch and sighed, smiling sadly at Kurt. "We better be going now, it's getting kind of late. But I don't want to leave." He indicated the puppy now battling with a poodle for Kurt's attention. "I want him."

Kurt giggled. "I want him too. He reminds me of you."

Blaine snorted. "Please. I am much cuter than that puppy."

"Mhm, whatever you say, hun. Look, why don't we just buy him? I'm pretty sure our airline lets us take small pets on the plane."

"I _can't,_" Blaine whined. "My parents won't let me have a dog in the house. The claws would scratch the hardwood."

Kurt shrugged. "No problem, he can stay at my house. My family definitely won't mind, I've always been the one who had to talk them out of getting a dog in the past. I couldn't risk my shoes being chewed up."

"And yet you're willing to take on this guy?"

The pug was now running laps around the both of them, yipping every time he made a full-circle.

Kurt chuckled. "He's sort of stolen my heart. I have one condition on taking him home, though – I get to name him."

"Okay. What did you have in mind?"

"Blaine, meet Blainers."

Blaine regarded the pug for a moment, before bursting into laughter. "Oh my _god. _Blainers? That's what Cooper and my mom call me when they're trying to annoy me."

"That's even better then," Kurt said, trying to hold back a smile. "He's cheeky and cute and hyperactive, just like you. And his eyes are much too big for his head." Kurt picked the puppy up and kissed him right on his squishy face, to which the dog responded by extending his tongue to try to lick Kurt on the nose.

"See?" Kurt asked, putting him back down on the floor, "he's your spirit animal."

Blaine giggled, eyes sparking with excitement when the dog started pawing at his lap, demanding to be played with. "You're serious? We're really getting a dog?"

"Yup."

"Together?"

"Yup."

"Next thing you'll be wanting to tie me down and force marriage and babies on me."

"Oh, please, Blaine. You're the sappy one in this relationship."

Blaine grinned at the little puppy, who tilted his head to the side and regarded him with big brown eyes. "Welcome to the family, Blainers," he said, pulling a pen out of his bag to jot down the number on the dog's collar.

* * *

><p>Kurt and Blaine headed back to their car after paying the pet store for their new puppy and providing them with delivery instructions.<p>

"How do you think Cooper's going to react when a puppy gets delivered to his bachelor-pad?" Kurt asks, curling up to Blaine's side as the car pulls away from the curb.

Blaine snorted. "Not sure. I texted him and told him to be home and expect a delivery…it's his fault for finding us a pet store with such adorable puppies."

"True. He brought this upon himself."

"He's paying for him, by the way."

"_What? _Blaine, you said you'd let me pay you back, I don't want Cooper to think I'm using you, or him, for money -"

Blaine chuckled. "No, no, you don't understand," he said. "Coop owes me, big time. When he was in his senior year of high school, he told our dad that he was going on a school camping trip, but instead, he and his friends bought plane tickets and ran off to Las Vegas for the week with fake ID's and one of dad's credit cards."

"Oh my god."

"I know. And I had to cover for him all week and intercept dad's credit card statement, and when he got back, I leant him all my savings so he could replace the money he spent before dad noticed. It was a huge mess, he never tried anything like that again. Anyway, this is him repaying my money. With interest. At first I wasn't going to worry about it, but he's a rich hot-shot lawyer now, so I think he actually likes throwing his money around a little." Blaine grinned.

Kurt laughed. "Fair enough, then, I guess."

"Besides," Blaine added as the car pulled over onto yet another street, "I think he'll appreciate the fact that you named such a ridiculous-looking dog after me."

* * *

><p>Kurt and Blaine ate dinner at an extremely fancy restaurant in yet another high-rise building. They were seated right against one of the walls, and as the walls were made of glass, they had an amazing view. Kurt was just relieved that he wasn't afraid of heights.<p>

When a tall, handsome waiter came around with their dinner menus, his eyes raked over Kurt suggestively.

"Good evening, gentlemen," he said, looking only at Kurt. "Might I just say, sir, that jacket is exquisite."

Kurt preened, smiling as he looked down at the silver Marc Jacob's jacket. "Yes, well, I should hope so," he said. "It cost me enough."

The waiter laughed lightly. "It really brings out the colour of your eyes."

Kurt blushed, mumbling a "thank you" under his breath.

"And what can I get you tonight?" The waiter asked, smiling at Kurt a little too brightly. Blaine scowled.

"The seafood salad, please," Kurt replied.

The waiter then turned to Blaine with a slight frown on his face. "And you?" He asked, his tone drastically changing to become icy and clipped.

"I'll have the steak, medium-rare with a side of fries," Blaine said, scowling at the waiter as he took down their orders. Once he was gone, Blaine turned to Kurt, who raised a questioning eyebrow at his sour expression.

"That waiter was hitting on you," Blaine said, glaring at the man's back as he took orders from another couple at the far side of the restaurant.

Kurt's eyes widened. "Really? Are you sure? Maybe he was just being friendly…"

Blaine laughed humourlessly. "Trust me, Kurt, he wants to get more than _friendly _with you."

Kurt looked over at the waiter in surprise, his brow furrowing in contemplation. When he turned around and headed back over to their side of the restaurant, Kurt raised a hand to call him back over to the table.

"Hello again, sir," the waiter said as he approached, smiling down at Kurt. "Is there something else I can get you?"

"Actually yes, there is," Kurt said, leaning over and batting his eyelashes at the waiter. "Sorry, what did you say your name was again?"

The waiter blushed. "It's Julian, sir."

"Well, Julian," Kurt said, reaching out to brush a piece of imaginary lint from the front of the waiter's jacket, "my friend and I here -" he gestured towards Blaine, who was gawping at him "- heard that you serve some amazing French champagne. Is that correct?"

Julian nodded frantically. "Yes, sir," he squeaked. Kurt smiled coyly up at him, biting his lip in a way that he knew drove Blaine crazy.

"It's the best champagne in all of New York, sir. I'll go and grab you a bottle, on the house. I'll be right back."

With that, he hurried off, looking quite flustered.

Kurt turned back to Blaine, smirking at the incredulous expression on his face. "What?" He asked coyly. "Being pretty has its perks." He picked up his napkin to lay it across his lap.

Blaine continued to stare at him. "Oh my god," he said finally, a breathless laugh escaping his lips. "I can't believe you flirted with that waiter to get free alcohol."

Kurt giggled. "I'm devious, remember?"

Julian returned shortly with their champagne, which was amazing. Their dinner was lovely also, but both Kurt and Blaine agreed that the cheap pasta at the little book café had been better.

After dinner, Julian slipped Kurt his number with the bill, along with a flirty note. When he came back around a moment later to collect the bill, Blaine grabbed Kurt and kissed him in the middle of the restaurant, causing Julian to glare daggers at both of them and march off in a huff.

The boys then headed back to the car, giggling and stumbling due to the champagne.

"We only have one more stop," Blaine said once they reached the car, leaning against the side of the lexus in an attempt to regain his balance. "How would you feel about heading back to the Gershwin theatre to see Wicked first hand? I'm sure they won't be up to par with you and Rachel, but still – oof!"

Blaine felt the breath leave his lungs at the full force of Kurt's body colliding with his own. It took him a minute to realise that Kurt was hugging him tightly, and then kissing him on the mouth, hot and heated and passionate. Blaine moaned into Kurt's mouth, and then Kurt's hands were underneath his shirt, roaming over his torso as he sucked on Blaine's bottom lip.

Someone on the street wolf-whistled, and the boys broke apart reluctantly, panting.

"You really do turn into an exhibitionist when you're drunk," Blaine said, eyes glinting mischievously. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Hush, you. This is entirely your fault for being so perfect. Come on, let's go – there's no way I'm arriving late to that show!"

* * *

><p>The show was amazing. Kurt mouthed along with the lyrics to every song, watching the entire play with tears in his eyes.<p>

Blaine mostly watched Kurt.

Once the play was over, Joseph drove them back to the hotel. It was so late, and the day had been so action-packed, that they boys struggled not to fall asleep in the car. Kurt lay with his head on Blaine's shoulder, blinking sleepily.

"Blaine," he whispered.

"Mmm?"

"Thank you so much. For everything. I can't believe you did all this for me." He tilted his head up to place a soft kiss to the underside of Blaine's jaw. "I want you to know that I don't expect any of this. When you make all these big romantic plans – it's amazing, and I love it, but I'd be happy just to be with you. That's what makes these things so romantic – the fact that I get to share them with you."

"I like doing it, though," Blaine responded. "It's the least I can do."

"What do you mean? I haven't done anything for you."

"Are you kidding me, Kurt? You do _so _much, every day. You make me feel like I could take on the world. Like I never have to be afraid, just so long as I have you by my side. No amount of romantic gestures can come close to that."

"I feel exactly the same way about you, Blaine. I love you so much. So I'll make you a deal – next time, I get to be the one to make big romantic plans."

"Okay," Blaine said, running his hands through Kurt's hair. "It's a deal."

When they finally got back to the hotel and reach their bedroom, the boys groggily pulled off their jackets and shoes, not even bothering to change their clothes as they collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. After wrapping their arms around each other and sharing a soft kiss, they were asleep within seconds.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Mr Schuester burst into the room far too early, ordering all the boys to get ready for Nationals later that day. Kurt and Blaine chugged down several cups of coffee, and although they were still tired, the nerves of the upcoming competition, plus the coffee, kept them awake on the bus trip.<p>

The performance was lively and fun. The original songs went down extremely well with the crowd, and when they left the stage, everyone was buzzing with adrenaline and excitement and joy.

New Directions didn't win Nationals. They didn't even place.

While the others seemed quite down about it, Kurt was surprised to find that he didn't really care. He had had an _amazing _trip, and there was always next year.

New Directions were all busy packing up their stuff before they left the venue, when suddenly, Blaine was ambushed by Cooper. He squeaked in surprise when his brother snuck up behind him and lifted him into the air in a bone-crushing hug.

"That was amazing, little bro," he said, ruffling Blaine's hair and then grimacing as he encountered Blaine's gel helmet.

Cooper then turned to Kurt and hugged him too.

"It was really great meeting you," Kurt said when Cooper pulled away. "Thank you so much for funding Blaine's wonderful New York surprise. It was amazing," Kurt said, and Cooper grinned.

"Perks of having a rich brother, aye Blaine?" He teased, nudging Blaine's shoulder. "I can help get you laid."

"Coop!" Blaine hissed, flushing a deep red. Kurt giggled at his obvious embarrassment.

"I've decided to forgive you both for having a puppy delivered to my apartment," Cooper added, dusting what looked like a piece of fur from his expensive leather jacket. It was then that Kurt noticed the small carrier cage sitting on a table a few feet away. It was lined with blankets and pillows, and Blainers was staring out of the bars, watching all the passers-by with rapt attention.

"What's his name?" Cooper asked, gesturing to the puppy.

"Blainers," Kurt replied, smirking.

"Well, Blainers took a shit on my carpet, just FYI."

Blaine, who had unfortunately chosen that moment to take a sip from his water bottle, found himself coughing and spluttering as Kurt patted his back. He glared at his brother who was laughing loudly.

"Blaine! Kurt! Time to go!" Mr Schuester called from across the room. Cooper sighed in annoyance.

"Okay, well, I guess this is goodbye for now then."

"We're moving here next year," Blaine said, grinning widely. "You'll see plenty of us then."

Kurt's heart warmed when Cooper's eyes immediately lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah," Kurt responded. "You won't be able to get rid of us."

Cooper pulled them both into one last, quick hug before clearing his throat and attempting to wipe his eyes inconspicuously on his sleeve.

"Thanks for everything, Coop," Blaine said. "You're the best."

"I know," Cooper responded. "Now go, you little shit, before you make me cry for real."

And with that, Kurt grabbed Blainers' cage and then took Blaine's hand, before following after the rest of New Directions.

He wasn't quite sure if he was going home, or leaving it.

* * *

><p>Finn and Blaine cooed over Blainers throughout the entire flight back to Lima, feeding him bits of their chicken sandwiches and teasing him through the bars of his cage. Kurt rolled his eyes at the both of them, and went back to watching <em>When Harry Met Sally<em>.

When they landed, the boys quickly collected their luggage and then continued to haul their stuff out of the arrivals gate, eyes scanning the crowd for Burt and Carole.

Both Blaine's parents had had to work, so he had told them not to worry about coming to pick him up - he would just get a cab, he'd said. The truth was that Burt had offered to take all the boys out for an early dinner to celebrate their return, before dropping Blaine back at his house.

They spotted the Hummel-Hudsons, and when they rushed over, Burt and Carole hugged each of them in turn.

"And who's this?" Burt asked, gesturing to the cage in Kurt's hand.

"This is Blainers," Kurt said, grinning. "He's my new dog. Well, technically he's Blaine's too, but I thought he could stay at our house."

"You mean you've finally given up on the whole 'no dogs' thing?" Burt asked, eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Oh my god," Kurt said, rolling his eyes. "You and Finn are just like two big kids."

Blaine giggled, and Kurt turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't think that you're exempt from this, Blaine. You're possibly the most childish of the lot."

Blaine smirked and wound his arm around Kurt's waist, pulling him close to his side. "Is that so?" He asked, eyes twinkling mischievously. "If I'm such a big kid, how come I can do this?"

He kissed Kurt on the mouth, forgetting about the fact that his boyfriend's family was right there and they were in the middle of a busy airport.

"BLAINE!"

Blaine broke the kiss in surprise at the sound of his name being called behind him. He turned around, and quickly realised who had spoken.

His parents were standing a few metres behind him. His mom looked worried, but Blaine was only focused on his dad's face. Edward Anderson looked livid, his eyes hard and cold as they flicked from Blaine, to Kurt, to Burt.

Blaine turned around to look at Kurt and Burt, who were both standing there with their mouths open in shock.

"Blaine," his dad said, and Blaine spun back around, heart racing as he began to panic. "Come here right now. We're leaving."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The excrement shall soon be colliding with the rotating cooling device.**

**By the way, I know, I suck. ****What's it been, like, a month? Fail. I'm so sorry. Real life has been totally hectic.**

**I will try my very best to be faster with the next chapter. Not many to go now! Probably just one more + epilogue.**

**Thank you for being so awesome and encouraging :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Road To Love: Chapter 19**

* * *

><p>The trip back to the house was dead silent. Blaine's father's knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly, and his mother was twisting her hands together nervously. Blaine sat in the back seat, eyes fixed on his lap, trying not to breathe too loudly.<p>

He wasn't scared of being yelled at.

He wasn't scared of being punished.

He was scared of being told that he couldn't see Kurt again.

And, as much as he hated to admit it, he was scared about losing the last remnants of his relationship with his father.

After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived home.

"Out," his dad said, before slamming the car door and marching inside. Blaine followed reluctantly, heart pounding in his chest.

When he walked inside he saw that his dad was seated at the dining table. Blaine sat down opposite him, and his mother sat between the two. Blaine almost laughed at this gesture. He hoped that when it came down to it, she would stick up for him.

Blaine's father leaned back in his seat, regarding Blaine with narrowed eyes. "Explain."

Blaine gulped, took a deep breath, and then braced himself as he launched into the story.

He started from the beginning. He told his father that Kurt was Burt's son, and they had met at the garage. He told him how they had been together for months and were planning to move to New York together the next year. He told the whole truth, and as he spoke, he felt like he was releasing all the pent-up tension and worry from his body. He had never realised before just how much it had been bothering him, keeping Kurt from his dad. He didn't want to lie anymore.

Once Blaine finished, his parents both sat in silence for a long moment. His dad's expression was unreadable. Finally, he spoke.

"Blaine, I love you. But you need to stop this."

"Dad, I can't - "

"I can't allow you to see that boy again."

"No!"

"YES, Blaine! You're too young to know what you want for the rest of your life! I'm your father, I have to protect you from making the biggest mistake of your life -"

"- Kurt will NEVER be a mistake! He's the best thing that ever happened to me!"

"Don't say that, it's not true-"

"EDWARD CHARLES ANDERSON, STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"

Both men turned to look at Amy Anderson at the same time, mouths open in shock. Her cheeks were pink with rage, her eyes wet with unshed tears.

"…Amy?" Edward asked, all anger temporarily forgotten.

"Edward, I love you. But I also love my son, and I can't continue to watch you do this to him."

Blaine watched in stunned silence as his father gaped at his mother, seemingly lost for words.

"Amy, we have talked about this, you _know _how I feel -"

"-That doesn't mean I have to agree with it!"

"I thought you understood!"

"Understanding is not the same as agreeing! Of _course _I know how hard this is for you, Edward, but what you're doing is wrong. Blaine is your _son_, he needs you to love and accept him!"

"Exactly, he is my goddamn son! And I am going to do what's best for him! I have to protect my son!"

Blaine was shocked to hear his father's voice starting to crack. He had never seen his father cry before.

Amy glared at her husband, refusing to break eye contact. "This is not the way to protect your son," she said, voice calmer but edged with steel. "I know you think that you're doing the right thing, but you're not. At the end of the day, he'll still be gay. The only thing that will change is that he'll resent _you _for making him think that he wasn't good enough. So I'm telling you now, Edward, you are going to support your son. You are going to give him a hug and you are going to tell him that you want to have Kurt over next weekend for dinner. And then you are going to put every effort into getting over this, because we are both tired of waiting for you to come around."

"Amy," Edward said, eyes now trained on his lap, "I'm sorry. But I just _can't_."

Blaine felt a painful stab in his chest just as he heard his mother inhale sharply. An array of emotions passed over her face as she looked at her husband, finally returning to a look of stubborn determination.

"Well, Edward, if this is how it's going to be, we're leaving," she snapped, turning to Blaine. Blaine's eyes widened as he took in the implications of what his mother was saying.

"Mom -"

"Sweetie, go and pack a bag. We're going to stay at my friend Patricia's for a while."

With that, she spun on her heel and marched up the stairs. Blaine followed after her hurriedly, not wanting to be alone with his father right now.

As he ascended the stairs, he heard Edward Anderson let out a broken sob.

* * *

><p>When Kurt's phone finally rang, he leapt for it and answered without even bothering to check the caller ID.<p>

"Blaine?" he asked, voice filled with worry.

"**Hey, baby."**

"Oh, thank _god, _I was so worried."

"**It's okay. I'm okay."**

"What happened?"

"**My dad...he…didn't take it so well. He's…not happy. He told me I wasn't to see you again."**

"NO!"

"**Shhh, don't worry, there's no force on this Earth that could keep me from you. But…my mom…she got really angry at him. There was yelling…he seemed to think he was **_**protecting **_**me, or something, by trying to get me to completely deny my sexuality. Anyway, when he refused to change, my mom told me to grab a bag, and now we're staying at her friend's house a couple of blocks away."**

"Oh my god. Blaine, I'm so sorry. I never…do you think they're going to get a divorce?"

"**I hope not."** Blaine's voice trembled, and Kurt could tell that he was on the verge of tears. **"They've always seemed so in love, Kurt. They only ever fight about me. If they get divorced, it'll be my fault."**

"No, Blaine, don't you say that. It is _not _your fault for being who you are. This is down to your dad."

"**Look, Kurt, I gotta go. My mom, she…she's crying, she needs me."**

"Will you be okay?"

"**I'll be fine."** Kurt wasn't convinced.

"_Promise _me you'll call me again first thing tomorrow?"

"**I promise. I love you."**

"I love you too. Hey Blaine?"

"**Yeah?"**

"Your father…you love him, right?"

"**Of course I do. He's my dad. We used to be so close…almost like you and Burt are now. Until I came out. I'd do anything to get that back."**

Kurt nodded, then remembered that Blaine couldn't see him. "He'll come around eventually."

"**I doubt that, but thank you."**

"Goodnight, Blaine. Everything will be okay."

"**Sweet dreams, my love."**

As soon as Blaine hung up the phone, Kurt rushed down the hall to his dad's study to find the phone book. He was relieved to find that Edward and Amy Anderson were listed. He quickly scribbled down the address before grabbing his keys and running into the living room. Burt looked up from his spot in the couch.

"Where're you going, kid? Is Blaine okay?"

"No," Kurt said, grabbing his coat and pulling it on. "His dad and mom had a huge fight. His dad's not okay with us being together and his mom got mad, and then she grabbed Blaine and now they're staying at her friend's house. Blaine's really upset, I need to do something, I need to go talk to his dad."

"Kurt, wait, slow down!" Burt got up from the couch and approached his son quickly, placing his hands on his shoulders. "I don't think this is such a good idea."

"I _have _to -"

"If his own wife and son couldn't get through to him, what makes you think his son's _boyfriend _could?"

Kurt paused, eyes brimming with tears. "I have to try," he choked, face crumpling as his dad pulled him into a hug. He sobbed into his dad's chest.

"I'll come with you."

Kurt looked up into his dad's face with red-rimmed eyes, sniffing lightly.

"No, you don't have to do that -"

"Kurt," Burt responded firmly, "I'm the proud father of a gay kid. If anybody can get through to this guy it might just be me."

Kurt paused for a moment before nodding, face breaking into a watery smile. He hugged his father tighter, and was once again struck by an overwhelming wave of love and gratitude.

"Thanks, dad," he whispered.

"Don't mention it, kiddo," Burt replied gruffly. "Now let's go talk some sense into this guy."

* * *

><p>Sitting in the car outside the Anderson's home, Burt Hummel was suddenly nervous. He knew how important this was to Kurt and Blaine, and the last thing he wanted was to make things worse.<p>

Kurt sat in the passenger seat next to him, ringing his hands nervously as he looked out at the house.

"Kurt," Burt said, and his son jumped slightly in his seat.

"Y-yeah?" Kurt replied, voice quieter and more high-pitched than normal.

"I think you should stay in the car while I talk to him."

Kurt opened his mouth to protest, but Burt cut him off. "Look, I know you want to do what you can, but trust me on this, okay? I'll be able to get through to him more if it's just the two of us."

Kurt contemplated for a moment, before letting out an annoyed huff. "Fine," he mumbled. "You're probably right."

Burt patted his son on the shoulder in what he hoped was a reassuring manner, before clambering out of the car and making his way to the house. He rang the doorbell, and a few seconds later, Edward Anderson opened the door.

Burt was shocked to see how different the man looked from the first time they'd met, several months previously at his shop. The man who had come into Hummel Tires & Lube had resembled a stone statue in an Armani suit. The man standing before him now was a mess.

His dark, curly hair was sticking out in all directions, and his eyes were red-rimmed – he had obviously been crying. The Armani suit had been replaced with a pair of sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt, and Burt was reminded of the young, scared boy, who had sat in his lounge and cried over how his father would never understand and how sorry he was for lying. Suddenly, he could really believe that the man standing before him was Blaine's dad.

"Mr Hummel," Edward said, his voice gruff, "I'm a little surprised to see you here."

Burt raised his eyebrows at the man's tone of voice. He certainly didn't sound surprised. He also didn't sound like the confident, stern man who he had been expecting to encounter. His voice was…resigned. Like he really couldn't care less about anything right now.

"Mr Anderson, I think we have a few things to discuss."

"Probably."

"Are you going to let me in?"

"I suppose so. Come in. Please leave your shoes inside the door."

Edward Anderson directed Burt towards the dining room table, but he walked into the next room instead, preferring to sit on the couch in the living room. Edward didn't protest, just left for a few minutes to make Burt a cup of tea (he had a glass of scotch instead), and when he returned, he sat on the opposite couch, as far away from Burt as possible.

There was a minute of awkward silence in which Burt expected Edward to inquire about his visit, but when he didn't, Burt decided to take the lead.

"So, your son and my son, huh?"

Edward raised an eyebrow at Burt directness, but he didn't seem too phased as he took a sip of his drink. "How long have you known?"

"Long enough."

"You should have told me."

"Blaine asked me not to."

Edward sighed, draining his glass and reaching forward to place it on the coffee table in front of him.

"Mr Hummel, what is the purpose of this visit?"

"You need to accept your son."

Edward scoffed, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "My wife thinks so, too."

"You should listen to her."

There was a long pause while Edward just sat there, brow furrowed, staring out of the large living room window at the night sky. Burt thought that he was about to speak a couple of times, but each time he just shut his mouth again, continuing to look the stars.

Finally, he broke the silence, his voice barely a whisper. "Don't you love your son?"

Burt frowned in confusion, his voice hardening. "Of course I do. I love him more than anything, that's why I'm here."

"But aren't you scared?"

"Scared of what?"

"That he'll get hurt. For being…for being gay. That's what happens to gay kids, haven't you been watching the news or reading the papers? They end up dead. One way or another."

Burt's eyes widened in shock. He had _not_ been expecting the conversation to go in this direction.

"If…if that's what you're worried about, Mr Anderson, you're focusing on a very small minority here. The papers don't tell you about all the gay kids who go on to lead long, happy lives."

"I can't risk it."

"You can't expect Blaine to be unhappy for the rest of his life just because you're scared."

Edward turned to face him then, his face contorted in grief. The expression on the man's face was so gut-wrenching that Burt felt his hands shaking slightly around his cup of tea.

"I had a brother," Edward said finally, and Burt had a feeling that this brother was the start of a very important story.

"His name was Daniel," Edward continued. "He was in his senior year of high school when I was a freshman. He was the most popular guy in school, but…he wasn't like most popular kids these days, who basically fight their way to the top of the heap. He was popular because people _liked _him. He was handsome, of course, and he was the captain of the Football team, and he could sing, and he would help kids who got lost on their first day of school. He was a straight-A student, and he had a beautiful girlfriend…he was pretty much perfect, and I looked up to him so much. He was the best brother I could have asked for."

"Daniel's best friend was called Jack. He was a junior, and he was nowhere near as popular as Daniel was. He was like, this really shy kid who never seemed to talk to anybody other than Daniel. If he wasn't Daniel's best friend, he definitely would have been bullied – he still was, a little bit, but his connection to the most popular guy in school saved him from the worst of it."

"One day, I came home from school and Jack's shoes were inside the door, so I figured he must be up in Daniel's room hanging out like they did most days after school. So I headed up there because I needed Daniel to help me with my math homework. The music was on really loud, and I knocked, but they obviously couldn't hear me inside, so I just opened the door."

Burt felt his stomach sinking. He knew what was coming next, and he wasn't sure he really wanted to hear what happened afterwards.

"They were kissing," Edward continued. "Properly kissing, on the bed, jackets gone and shirts half unbuttoned. It was a few seconds before they noticed I was there, and they immediately stopped and completely panicked. Daniel dragged me into the room and made me swear that I wouldn't tell anyone, and Jack was crying, and I was just…_confused. _I'd heard of homosexuality before, but at that time, it was such a rare and taboo thing, I'd never given it much serious thought. But later that night, once I had been sworn to secrecy and Jack was long gone, I lay in bed and thought long and hard about it. And I found that I didn't really _care _that my brother liked other boys. Why should it matter who he loved? He was still my amazing, wonderful older brother. So I went down the hall to his room, and I crawled into the bed next to him, and I told him that. And he hugged me so tightly I could hardly breathe. Then he just cried until we both fell asleep."

"Everything was fine for several months after that. Jack continued to come over, and I gave them their space. I never told anybody. But one day, Daniel came home from school looking _terrified. _He told me that some football players had cornered Jack during school to steal his lunch money, and they'd found a love note in his bag that Daniel had given him. It wasn't signed with his name, but it was clear from some of the things it said that it had been written by a boy."

"The gossip spread like wildfire. The next day at school, everyone knew about Jack. Daniel refused to stop hanging out with him in public, despite the accusations that were thrown their way. By the end of the day, he wasn't the most popular guy in school anymore, because he chose to associate with a _fag. _Despite Daniel's loss of status, however, Jack was the prime target of the abuse. Daniel tried his best to stop it, but it was no use. One day, he was waiting outside the school to meet Jack before class, as he always did. But Jack never showed. He didn't show the next day, either. The day after that, they found his body in the river."

Burt inhaled sharply, his heart clenching painfully out of sympathy for the two boys. The thought of something like that happening to either Kurt or Blaine made his eyes well up with tears, and he surreptitiously tried to wipe them on his sleeve as Edward continued to speak.

"Multiple broken bones, a fractured skull, and three stab wounds to the chest piercing two of his vital organs. They never found out who did it."

"Daniel spent the next week in bed, crying and refusing to eat. Our parents thought he was just sad about losing his best friend. I was the only one who knew the truth. I would sneak into his room ever night and hold him as he cried, and it would make me cry too, because I'd never seen anyone so _broken _before. It was as if the life had been completely sucked out of him, and in a way, I guess it had. It wasn't just losing Jack, it was the fact that it was _his note _that had made it happen. One night he said to me, 'I shouldn't have loved him. It was selfish of me, to have loved him'."

"A few days later, I came home from school and went up to Daniel's room to see how he was doing. I knocked, but there was no answer – just silence. I figured he must be asleep, but I had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. So I opened the door to check on him, and he was hanging from the rafters."

Edward's voice broke, and he took a minute to compose himself. By this point silent tears were streaming down Burt's face. Edward wasn't crying, but Burt knew he had already shed endless tears for his brother's life. After losing Elizabeth, Burt knew what it was like to deal with pain. At first, it is so crippling that you can barely function. It feels like your heart is being torn from your chest, and all you can do is cry and scream and just try anything – _anything – _that might let some of the hurt out. It never works. Time does that thing it does where it just keeps passing, despite the fact that the world as you know it has come to a standstill. Eventually, the tears stop coming, and you start to numb the pain. It doesn't hurt any less, it just hurts differently. It allows you to put up a brave face and get on with your life, even though that hollow ache remains – and always will.

"He left a short note for my parents," Edward continued. "All it said was that it wasn't their fault, and he was sorry. No explanation. But I found a separate note under my pillow that night as I lay in bed, sobbing and feeling sick to my stomach."

With that, Edward got up and walked out of the room. He returned a moment later clutching a piece of paper that had been unfolded and re-folded so many times it was now held together with tape. Burt opened it and began to read.

_Dear Eddy,_

_I am so, so sorry to leave you behind._

_You truly are the best little brother I could have asked for. I wish I could have been more like you – smarter, braver. Maybe then he would still be alive._

_Please don't let my actions ruin your life. You have a whole life ahead of you – a good life. You should find a girl and get married and have beautiful children. When you do, tell them I died in a car accident. I don't want people to know how much of a coward I was. _

_You are so lucky, that you will never have to live with the curse I was born with. Please don't forget how lucky you are. And I know I have no right to ask this of you, but please don't forget me. Remember my mistakes, and learn from them, but also remember the good things – that I was good at sports, that I was smart, that I loved strawberry ice-cream. That sort of thing. That's what I want to matter, in the end._

_You have no idea how much it means to me that at least one person in this world knew everything about me – all of me, entirely – and still loved me. I want to thank you for that, Eddy._

_I love you. Be good. Don't smoke, it's bad for you. And help mom do the dishes._

_Your brother, Daniel_

_P.S. Please take care of Jack's little sister Amy when she starts high school next year. Now that Jack's gone, I just know that they'll try to take it out on her. You always had a way of making people feel better just by being there, which is yet another thing I have to thank you for._

Burt handed the letter back to Edward once he was done reading, swallowing the lump in his throat.

At that point, Edward chuckled, a sound of true happiness, and Burt looked up at him in surprise.

"And that's how I met my wife. Bet you didn't think this story would have a bittersweet ending, huh?"

Burt's jaw dropped. "Amy?"

"Yep."

"Does she know?"

"Why do you think she put up with me all this time?"

Burt sat back in his chair, and Edward let out a long sigh of relief. "So now you know. Maybe now you can understand."

Burt looked up at the man with wide eyes, and shook his head. "That was a long time ago. Times have changed."

Edward snorted. "I thought so too, until I sat by my son's bedside in the hospital a couple of years ago. He went to a school dance with a boy and they were both beaten half to death. The fuckers would have finished the job too, if they hadn't been afraid of getting caught."

Burt took a deep breath. He hadn't known about that. He was going to have to try a different approach.

"Mr Anderson, has Blaine told you about his plans to move to New York with Kurt next year?"

He nodded.

"And do you know that New York recently legalized gay marriage?"

"I do."

"This is _Ohio. _The world is a huge, huge place. Blaine and Kurt aren't going to stay here forever. They're going to see the world. They're going to go to New York, where they'll be able to hold hands in public and feel _safe_, and they'll get to meet other couples like them and maybe do some activist work to help other kids who aren't coping so good. And then eventually they'll get married, and you'll be there with your wife and your other son, and I'll be there with the rest of my family. And all their friends from school who _love them _and accept them will travel all that way, so that they can see their friends finally commit to spending the rest of their lives together. And they'll adopt beautiful babies, and raise them up in a world hopefully much less hateful than the one we were born into. And when that happens, don't you want to be there to see your grandchildren? Don't you want to look down at their faces and know that no matter who they turn out to be, they'll be safe and loved? Don't you think that's what _Daniel _would have wanted?"

By this point, Edward was openly sobbing, his head held in his hands and his shoulders shaking. Burt got to his feet and sat next to the other man, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Forget your fears, for a minute. Forget everyone else. What is it that you want the most, for _Blaine_?" Burt asked.

Edward sniffled and responded so quietly that Burt could barely hear him. "I want him to be happy."

Burt nodded, his lips quirking up in a tiny smile. "I think you know what you need to do."

* * *

><p>Kurt was growing increasingly agitated as he sat in the car, messing around with his iPhone apps. It had been over half an hour and his dad still hadn't returned.<p>

He glanced towards the Anderson's house every few seconds, and finally, his dad left the house and walked hurriedly to the car. Kurt tensed in his seat.

"Well?" He asked, as his dad opened the door and flopped into his seat with a long sigh.

He turned to Kurt and smiled. It was a strange smile – happy, but with a tinge of sadness behind it. "I think everything's going to be just fine," he said, and started the car.

* * *

><p>Edward Anderson picked up the phone with trembling hands, and quickly dialled the number. His wife answered the phone.<p>

"Hello?"

"I love you," he said immediately. He heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line.

"I love you too," she said. "Is that all you called to say?"

"No. I talked to Burt Hummel tonight. He came over, and we just started talking, and everything just came out, all of it…and, God, you were right, Amy. You were right all this time, I'm so sorry. Daniel would have been ashamed of me."

There was a long pause before she responded, her voice trembling. "He would never have been ashamed of you."

"Will you come home, please? With Blaine? I need my family back."

"Do you mean that?"

"I really, really do."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: PLEASE READ!**

** So we only have the epilogue to go now, guys :) I'm sorry (but not really) about the angst in this chapter, I cried while writing it lol. I promise a fluffy epilogue!**

** Now, I have an important question since this fic will be finishing up soon: What should my next fic be about? I have a few ideas, leave me a review letting me know which one you'd prefer :) Or you can suggest a totally new idea, I might be inspired.**

** Option 1: Some kind of fantasy AU. I was thinking Mermaid!Kurt, perhaps? Or if you have another idea, feel free to suggest it :)**

** Option 2: A bit of an angstier AU (but still balanced with happy) in which Blaine is considerably older than Kurt, and becomes close to the Hummels when he is a teenager and Kurt is just a toddler. Then he loses touch for a while, returning when Kurt is all grown-up. I already sort of wrote a prologue to this one (but it isn't posted) and although I think it would be interesting, it would be a challenge.**

** Option 3: My own version of a Kid!Klaine fic - basically an AU in which Kurt and Blaine meet at a very young age, this fic would have a chapter describing an event that occurs in each year of their lives. e.g. Chapter 1 = something that happened when they were just ickle 1year olds, Chapter 11 = something that happened when they were ll year olds, etc. and I'll keep going until they're in their 20's or maybe further.**

**Love you all! xox**


	20. Epilogue

**Road To Love: Epilogue**

* * *

><p>The sun was shining brightly in the sky, the air filled with the scent of damp earth and wildflowers as Blaine and Kurt strolled down the path to the lake.<p>

The lake had quickly become one of their favourite places to spend their time over the past year. It was a little out of the way, so they didn't go there very often, but when they had the time they loved to bring a picnic and lie on the grass, soaking up the sun and talking and kissing languidly. Occasionally, they'd find a more sheltered spot in a grove of trees to make love, slowly and sweetly, like they'd done the first time they visited the lake together.

Of course, sometimes the Hummels decided to accompany them, and on those days the boys kept things decidedly more G-rated. Those were the days for sunbathing and eating and having water-fights with Burt and Finn. Blaine and Finn eventually convinced Carole to allow them to tie a giant rope-swing from one of the trees so they could swing into the deep water below. Kurt had teased them for being big children, but after a lot of sad puppy-eyes from Blaine, he tried the rope swing for himself and it took Burt hours to convince the three of them to leave.

Today was Blaine's eighteenth birthday. When Kurt had asked him what he'd wanted to do, naturally, he'd said that he wanted to go to the lake one last time before they headed off to New York in a couple of weeks. So here they were, their hands clasped between them despite the awkwardness of also carrying a picnic basket and a cooler, ready to spend a quiet day at the lake together…or at least, that's what Kurt had let Blaine think.

"Only two weeks now," Kurt said with a grin. "Two weeks, Blaine."

Blaine shook his head in amazement. "I can't _believe _that I got into Juilliard," he said. "I mean, it's freakin'_ Juilliard_. I can totally believe that you got into NYADA, I knew you would. But I never thought that I could get into such a prestigious school. And I still don't know exactly what I want to major in yet...I know that musical theatre isn't right for me, but I still love singing and performing, and I just really want to -"

"-Hush!" Kurt said, reaching out to press a finger to Blaine's lips. "First of all, don't sell yourself short. You're an amazing singer, a brilliant actor, and a fantastic musician – you'll be great at whatever you choose to do. And don't stress about it right now, you don't have to figure it out just yet. There are so many options - you could end up being the next Lady Gaga, for all we know."

Blaine snorted. "I'm not sure I could pull off the meat suit."

Kurt giggled, before coming to a sudden stop. "Wait a sec, I recognise that weird-looking tree. We're almost there."

Blaine raised an eyebrow questioningly. "So…?"

"So, you need to put this on," Kurt said, pulling off the pale blue bandana that he had worn around his neck. "I'm going to blindfold you."

Blaine smirked. "Kinky."

"Shut up and put the blindfold on."

A minute later the blindfold was firmly secured, and they were continuing along the path again, only this time Blaine was being lead rather than walking alongside Kurt. "Babe, seriously, why am I wearing this?" he asked as he stumbled over a tree root. "Should I be worried?"

"Perhaps," Kurt said. Blaine cursed as he walked into a branch, and Kurt apologised, pulling him close to his side so he could make his way unscathed. After a few minutes, Blaine felt the sun bathe his body in warmth, and he knew that they had stepped out of the shade of the path onto the grass surrounding the lake. Kurt led him a little further before moving behind him to remove the blindfold.

"Okay, we're here. You can open your eyes."

Blaine blinked, wincing at the brightness of the sun, and then let out a startled squeak when a loud chorus of voices shouted **"SURPRISE!"**

Blaine stared at the group of people in front of him, open-mouthed.

Quickly scanning the crowd, Blaine realised that almost all the Warblers seemed to be present, plus the entirety of New Directions. The Hummels were there too, and so was Blainers the dog, who was yipping excitedly and running in circles on the grass. At the back of the group, Blaine spotted his own family – his mom, his dad, and – _Cooper._

"COOP!" Blaine exclaimed, and everyone laughed as Cooper threw his hands up in the air triumphantly.

"I told you all he'd be most excited to see me!" He said, running up to Blaine and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. "It's good to see ya, Squirt."

"What are you doing here?" Blaine asked, still surprised at seeing everyone in one place, all at once. Cooper grinned, releasing him from his chokehold.

"Well, I couldn't just miss your surprise party, could I little bro? I gotta give you my present. And besides, you're 18. That's a big one."

Blaine grinned, looking at everyone assembled before him. "Wow," he said. "Well, it's safe to say that I'm definitely surprised. Thanks for showing up, I know you guys must all be really busy."

"Thank Kurt, man," David said. "He's the one who organised it all. He damn near beat my ass when I told him I had to go to my aunt's wedding today. Good thing she called it off."

Blaine turned to his boyfriend, and reached out his hand. Kurt stepped forward and took it, and Blaine leaned in until their foreheads were touching. "Thank you," he whispered.

The moment was broken was David met a loud retching noise. Everybody laughed, and Blaine turned to frown at his friend. "You guys are disgustingly cute," David whined, rolling his eyes. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Guess you'd better avoid the birthday cake, then," Kurt teased.

"Never mind, I suddenly feel much better."

* * *

><p>Half an hour later and the kids (and Cooper) were all seated on the grass, laughing and talking and soaking up the sun. Blaine looked deliriously happy to see all of his friends, and Kurt was having a fantastic time catching up with Nick and Jeff, who were planning to take a gap year in order to travel before deciding where to apply for college. Kurt let out a jealous whiney when he heard about their plans to visit Europe, and Blaine laughed and promised to take him all the over the world once they graduated.<p>

A hand tapped Kurt on the shoulder, and he turned around to see Dave Karofsky grinning at him.

"Dave!" Kurt greeted, pulling the boy into a hug, genuinely happy to see him. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Me too. Thanks for inviting me." He turned to Blaine. "Happy birthday, man. How are you guys?"

Blaine grinned. "Really good. We're headed to New York in a couple of weeks."

"Yeah, I heard. I'm really happy for you guys."

Kurt smiled. "What about you, Dave? What're your plans for next year?"

Dave's face lit up excitedly. "I got offered a football scholarship at Michigan State, so I'm going to study there and then apply for law school. I want to be a sports agent."

"That's awesome, Dave, congratulations! I'm so glad that things are working out for you."

"Thanks!" Dave said, grinning. "I'm really excited about it." Suddenly, Dave glanced over Kurt's head, and glared. "Fuck. What is_ he_ doing here?"

Kurt turned around to see what Dave was talking about, and his eyes narrowed dangerously when he saw Sebastian Smythe crossing the field, headed their way. He nudged Blaine and nodded in Sebastian's direction. Blaine's face went from happy, to surprised, to angry and guarded in the space of about five seconds.

David showed up at their side, looking angry and protective. "I can't believe he had the nerve to show up here," he muttered.

"What does he _want_?" Kurt asked.

"Fuck if I know," David responded. He turned to Blaine.

"Blaine, should we get rid of him?"

Blaine seemed to debate the situation for a moment, before shaking his head. "No, I want to see what he wants."

A few seconds later, Sebastian was standing in front of them. "Hi, Blaine," the boy greeted in his usual annoying drawl. "I'm sorry I missed the surprise."

"What are you doing here, Sebastian?" He asked, and Kurt glared at the boy standing over him.

"I was told that all the Warblers were invited, so I decided to stop by."

"I thought it went without saying that you were not included in that invitation," Kurt snarled.

Sebastian's self-assured grin faded as he looked between the two boys, and the expression on his face transformed into something akin to – nervousness? Embarrassment? Whatever it was, it really didn't suit him.

"Actually," Sebastian said, "Can I talk to you both in private? Please? It's important."

Despite his suspicions, that caught Kurt's attention. He had to admit that he was curious. He caught Blaine's eye and nodded, and they got to their feet. They walked until they were far enough away that nobody at the party would be able to hear them, and then they stopped.

"Ok, Sebastian," Kurt said, "what do you want?"

Sebastian was standing awkwardly, hands in his pocket and eyes trained on the ground. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Well, I guess I better just…cut right to the chase," he said. "I came here because I wanted to apologise for the way that I treated you guys last year. It was…cruel, and disrespectful, and I shouldn't have done it. And, I deserved the trick that you pulled on me, Kurt. I was actually quite impressed, once I got over the humiliation."

Kurt stared at Sebastian in open-mouthed shock, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Wait," he said, "you actually mean to tell me that you feel some sort of remorse for what you did? Is this some kind of joke?"

Sebastian shook his head. "No, it's not a joke. I'd have nothing to gain from messing with you guys now. I'm trying to be a better person."

"Why?" Blaine asked incredulously. "What brought this on?"

A pained look crossed Sebastian's face, and Kurt swallowed uneasily. Sebastian took a deep breath. "You guys remember Adam, right?"

"You mean the boy that you manipulated into sleeping with you and then dumped?" Blaine accused. "Yeah, I remember. He's one of the sweetest guys around, and he didn't deserve what you did to him."

Sebastian nodded, doing his best to avoid making eye contact. "I know," he said in a choked voice. He paused for several seconds, and Kurt was startled to see that his eyes were wet.

"Sebastian…?" Blaine asked, concerned. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Sebastian took several deep breaths, and when he spoke again, his voice shook. "I'm okay, it's just…hard to talk about this."

"It's okay," Blaine said, his voice soft and caring. "Take your time." Kurt was filled with a sudden rush of affection for his boyfriend, who didn't have a vindictive bone in his body.

Sebastian nodded, and continued to speak, his voice trembling.

"When I first met Adam, I saw him as…just another game. I played him for months. I told him I loved him, and when I got what I wanted, I laughed in his face and sent him packing. I didn't care who I hurt - all I've ever done is played games with people. It's easier to act like you don't give a fuck about anyone than it is to admit that you care."

Kurt and Blaine shared a glance of concern and confusion. "Sebastian, what...?" Blaine asked, and the boy blinked back tears before continuing.

"He tried to kill himself," Sebastian whispered. "His roommate found him in time, thank god, but he – he said it was because of me. He said that I made him fall in love with me. I didn't even know that someone _could_ fall in love with me. I didn't want – that." Sebastian reached up to wipe tears from his eyes. "It's all fun and games…until it's not. I completely fucked up, I almost killed the person that I lov-"

Sebastian stopped talking abruptly, but it was too late. He'd let it slip.

"You loved him," Blaine whispered, realisation dawning on his face.

"Love," Sebastian corrected. "Present tense. I didn't recognise it for what it was at first, but yeah. I love him."

"Are you two…?" Blaine asked, and Sebastian smiled. Actually _smiled – _not a smirk, or a cocky grin, but a genuine, happy smile.

"I don't know how he forgave me," he said. "I sure as hell didn't deserve it. But I am so fucking thankful that he did."

Kurt found himself smiling, despite himself. He couldn't bring himself to hate Sebastian at this moment.

"The reason I targeted you two," Sebastian continued, "is because I was jealous. I didn't realise it at the time, but I wanted to badly to have what you two have. I wasn't brave enough to chase after it for myself, so instead, I tried to ruin your happiness. I know it makes absolutely no sense, but at the time…what can I say? I was a mess. Funnily enough though, in the end, after my attempts at breaking you guys up completely failed…you guys sort of inspired me to go after what I wanted, and I've never been happier. So thank you – and please believe me when I say that I really am sorry."

"We believe you," Kurt whispered, smiling softly at the boy in front of him.

Sebastian let out a deep, shuddering breath. "Thank you," he said, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his eyes. "Well…I guess I better be going now, then. Happy birthday, Blaine. I really hope everything goes well for you guys in New York."

Sebastian turned to leave, but after a few steps, Kurt turned to Blaine and they shared an understanding glance.

"Wait!" Blaine called, and Sebastian turned around.

"You should stay," Blaine said with a smile. "You have to try my mum's mini quiches, they're amazing."

Sebastian's face immediately lit up, and Kurt knew that they had done the right thing. Sebastian happily followed them back to the party. When the other boys glared at him, Kurt and Blaine shook their head, letting them know that he had permission to be there.

Kurt found himself unable to stop smiling. Despite his ability to hold a good grudge, in the end, he was still just a silly romantic. He suddenly wished that he'd gotten to know Adam better when he was at Dalton, if he managed to have such an effect on Sebastian.

Kurt had a sudden urge to kiss Blaine and tell him how much he loved him, when suddenly he was spun around, and a pair of lips were on his. "I love you," Blaine whispered as he pulled away.

Kurt smiled. "You beat me to the punchline," he said, leaning in to kiss Blaine again.

* * *

><p>Blaine groaned as he leaned back against his boyfriend's chest, clutching his stomach. "I am never going to eat ever again. I am having a food baby."<p>

Kurt chuckled, and Blaine titled his chin up to glare at him. "Don't laugh at my pain."

"I'm sorry, I just don't think I've ever seen you eat so much," Kurt said. It was true – Blaine had gone through about five plates of food, and they still hadn't cut the cake yet.

"I couldn't help it!" Blaine whined. "It's all so good."

Kurt had to admit that the food was amazing, and even he had gone back for third helpings. Carole and Amy had apparently been cooking all night, because they had come laden with massive amounts of delicious, very unhealthy food. Burt had also brought a portable barbecue with him on which he and Edward had cooked sausages and pork chops and corn-on-the-cobb, most of which had been practically inhaled by Wes, David, Finn and Puck.

Kurt, in the meantime, was smiling as he watched Burt and Edward sharing a 6-pack of beer, laughing and playfully insulting each other's favourite football teams. Carole and Amy were seated not far off, gossiping and giggling like a couple of teenage girls.

"Look at our parents," he said, nodding in their direction. "They're like best friends."

Blaine let out a contented sigh. "I never thought I'd get to see my dad like this again," he said. "It's all thanks to you."

"My dad, actually."

"You _and _your dad. God, I owe you guys so much."

"Stop it. You don't owe us anything. That's what family is for." Blaine hummed happily, closing his eyes and snuggling down further into Kurt's arms.

"No, no," Kurt protested, pushing Blaine up despite his protests. "Don't you dare fall asleep - you still haven't opened your presents!"

* * *

><p>It wasn't long until Blaine found himself completely surrounded by crinkled wrapping paper, with a rather large pile of gifts next to him. It seemed that almost everyone had gotten him something, the most common gifts being bowties and hair gel. Blaine didn't mind that they weren't the most original gifts in the world because quite frankly, he didn't think he'd ever have enough bowties and hair gel.<p>

His favourite gifts thus far had been an antique pocket-watch from David, a retro vinyl record player from Nick and Jeff, and a pair of ridiculously expensive brown leather loafers from Wes.

The only gifts still left to be opened were from Kurt, Cooper, and his parents.

"I'm next!" Cooper exclaimed, shoving an envelope under Blaine's nose. "Open up."

Blaine tore through the envelope and quickly extracted its contents, letting out a loud squeal when he saw what he got.

"Tickets to see Katy Perry perform at Madison Square Garden! Oh my god, oh my god, are you serious? Cooper! I get to breathe the same air as Katy Perry! I can't – oh my god!"

Everybody laughed loudly at Blaine's excitement.

"Wait…" Blaine said, frowning into the envelope, "There are three tickets here."

"Well, I'm coming too, of course," Cooper said.

"But you don't even like Katy Perry."

"She has a fantastic rack."

Blaine rolled his eyes fondly as he hugged his brother.

"Mom, dad, give him your gift now!" Cooper called to Edward and Amy, grinning excitedly.

"Blaine, I want you to think of this gift as both a birthday present, and a farewell present for you and Kurt," Edward said, "and, as an apology from me." He coughed awkwardly, glancing around at all the people whose attention was focused on him. "Blaine, I….I haven't always been a good father to you," he continued. "Over the past couple of years, I let my fears get in the way of what's really important…love, and family. I promise you that from now on, I will always put those things first. So…your mom and I decided to team up with the Hummels to get you and Kurt this gift …from family to family."

Blaine swallowed around the lump in his throat, smiling up at his dad as he handed him a plain white envelope. Blaine stared down at it, achingly curious to know what was inside, but suddenly nervous. He took a deep breath before opening the envelope, and pulling out the piece of paper inside.

Blaine stared at the piece of paper for an indeterminable amount of time. His mind seemed to go blank, until Kurt reached out and gently touched his arm. "Blaine?" he asked, and Blaine looked up, meeting his boyfriend's eyes. He swallowed, and his hands were shaking slightly as he handed the piece of paper to Kurt.

"They bought us an apartment," Blaine croaked.

"_What?" _Kurt exclaimed, staring down at the piece of paper and skimming over the contents. He gasped. "Oh my _god_."

"They bought us an apartment! In New York!" Blaine repeated, louder this time, as his face broke into a wide smile. He heard gasps and excited chattering from the people around him. "Oh my god, Kurt. An apartment. We have our own apartment."

Kurt let out a squeal of delight, and launched himself at Blaine, knocking him to the ground and peppering his face with kisses. Blaine laughed joyously as Kurt scrambled to his feet and ran over to Burt, hugging him enthusiastically as the man laughed at his son's enthusiasm.

Blaine realised that he should probably get up off the ground and thank his own parents, but he was still in shock. He scrambled rather clumsily to his feet, and his dad immediately pulled him into a tight hug. Blaine could feel himself shaking with happiness and love and gratitude. "Thank you so much, dad," he whispered, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you, son," Edward replied, "for never giving up on me."

Blaine eventually released his dad from the hug, and went to hug his mom, bending down to kiss her on the cheek. "I love you, mom," Blaine whispered.

"I love you too, sweetheart," she said, smiling brightly. "I'm so proud of you."

"Hold up, hold up!" David said, and everybody quieted down. "We still have one present that needs opening. Although I pity you, Kurt, having to follow THAT."

Kurt blushed, and grabbed a parcel about the size of a large textbook. "Umm…I'd actually rather give this to Blaine in private, if that's okay with you guys."

There for a few moans of protest, and Santana loudly asked if Kurt had bought Blaine a sex toy. Burt choked on his beer.

"It's a rectangular parcel, Santana!" Kurt replied, blushing as he grabbed Blaine's hand and dragged him away where they wouldn't be heard.

Kurt was a little nervous about giving Blaine his gift. He had wanted to get him something really special, and he figured he had two ways of going about that. He could (1) blow all his savings in order to get Blaine something very expensive or (2) get him something with sentimental value. Kurt had opted for the sentimental route, because Blaine wasn't very materialistic and he was, quite frankly, a big sap.

They sat down on the grass, and Blaine smiled at Kurt lovingly. Kurt handed Blaine the parcel with a soft smile, and twisted his fingers together nervously as Blaine opened it.

Kurt had found the beautiful leather-bound scrapbook in a small arts and crafts store, and he knew he'd chosen well when Blaine gasped upon seeing it. He opened it up, to reveal a carefully-chosen picture of the both of them that had been taken not long after they'd made their relationship official. It had been taken by Wes on one of their many visits to the Lima Bean, and Kurt loved it because neither of them knew that the picture was being taken, and they were both looking at each other over the rims of their coffee cups, with small smiles on their faces and love in their eyes. It was, in a nutshell, KurtandBlaine. Around the outside of the picture, Kurt had pasted two pieces of cardboard that he had cut out of the Lima Bean coffee cups, that read 'Kurt' and 'Blaine' in the barista's messy scrawl.

Blaine looked up at him with wide eyes. "It's a memory scrapbook." Kurt pointed to the cups. "Those are from the first coffees we ever ordered together," he said, blushing slightly under Blaine's gaze. "It's sappy, I know."

"No, Kurt," Blaine said, running his fingers over the pieces of cardboard. "It's…amazing. How long have you been planning this?"

"I usually keep little things that have strong sentimental value to me, but I only recently decided to put the scrapbook together. Turn the page, there's more."

On the next page were pictures of them in the garage, taken on Kurt's iPhone. Most of them were just of Blaine, dirt smudged on his cheek as he worked. Blaine continued turning the pages. There were hundreds of pictures of them together from the past year. Some were taken by them, some by others - some of which he'd seen before, most of which he hadn't. Occasionally there would be little tidbits pasted to the page, along with a small caption explaining their significance.

There was a receipt for Breadsticks with the caption _first dinner date, _next to a picture of Kurt eating a slice of cheesecake. Blaine remembered taking the picture on his phone, and refusing to delete it when Kurt protested.

Blaine laughed when, a few pages later, he found a condom wrapper stapled to the page with the caption _the first time. _"Hush," Kurt said, smacking him on the shoulder. "That is a_romantic _condom wrapper." And Blaine had to agree when he saw that next to it was a picture of them from that night, drinking champagne on the grass, not far from where they were seated right at that moment.

There was a whole 10-page section dedicated to their trip to New York. There were pictures of them from all over the city, along with their airline tickets, the stubs from their _Wicked_tickets, and the numbered label that had been attached to Blainers' collar when they bought him.

Blaine quickly flipped through the rest of the pages. There were some more recent pictures from prom, and graduation, and some of them just sitting and laughing with their friends. It represented their journey – a story of everything they'd been through together over the past year and a half.

When Blaine turned to the next page, it was blank, but there were at least half the pages of the book still left. He looked at Kurt questioningly, and Kurt smiled. "Those ones are yet to be filled," he whispered, and Blaine felt his heart swell in his chest.

"Kurt, this is so, so perfect," he said, gently closing the book and pulling it to his chest. "Thank you. It's the most amazing…I just love you so much." Kurt leaned in and kissed him gently, and Blaine hummed against his lips.

"But…" he said, when Kurt pulled away, "I think we're going to need to buy several more of these books. This is just a year and a half's worth of pages. We've got our whole lives ahead of us."

* * *

><p>"Hey, you're back!" Finn called as Blaine and Kurt returned to the group, hand-in-hand. "We were just about to cut the cake."<p>

"Wait, I want to see what Kurt got Blaine first," Mercedes protested, and made to grab the book from Blaine's hands.

"Nuh-uh," Kurt said, stepping in to block her. "That's private. Maybe you'll get to see it someday, but not today."

"Why?" Mercedes asked, looking at the book suspiciously. "Does it have sex stuff in it?"

Kurt glared at her. "You people need to get your minds out of the gutter. It's just very personal, that's all."

"Alright, alright, fine," Mercedes sighed.

"So…does that mean we can cut the cake?" Finn asked.

"Finn, you just ate enough food to feed an entire family for a week," Kurt said. "How can you even think about cake right now?"

"Actually, I could use some cake," Blaine said. Kurt stared at him incredulously.

"Blaine, an hour ago you were telling me you'd never eat again."

"An hour is a long time in terms of digestion!"

"Fine, FINE, let's cut the cake."

* * *

><p>After everyone had sung Blaine happy birthday and they'd all had a piece of cake, Puck suggested that they go swimming.<p>

"Puck, you're supposed to wait twenty minutes after eating before you swim," Rachel protested. "Otherwise you'll get cramps."

"Pfffth, old wives' tale," Puck said. "Toughen up, Berry. I'm going to go try out that rope swing."

The day was warm and the cool lake water looked very appealing, and pretty soon everyone was peeling off their clothes to reveal their bathing suits underneath, and then running off to splash in the lake.

Except for Rachel, that is.

"Hey Kurt, you coming?" Blaine asked as he tossed his shirt onto the grass.

"Yeah, just…give me a minute," Kurt said, nodding in Rachel's direction. Blaine nodded, and kissed him on the cheek before running into the lake and promptly tackle-hugging Nick into the water.

Kurt walked over to Rachel and sat down by her side, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "You okay?" He asked.

He knew that she wasn't really okay right now. She and Finn had broken up a month prior, because their plans for the future were just not compatible. Kurt knew that it would take Rachel a while to get over her first love, but he also thought that it was for the best. She and Finn were too different, and their constant break-ups and make-ups had left Rachel emotionally exhausted. But he needed to be here for her right now, while she nursed a broken heart. That's what best friends are for, after all.

Rachel sniffled, and Kurt pulled her closer to his side. "The worst part," Rachel said, beginning to cry, "Is that I think I saw it coming for a really long time, but I wanted so badly to believe that everything would work out."

"I know, sweetie," Kurt sighed, stroking her hair. "But you did the right thing."

"I don't even have NYADA anymore though, Kurt! I choked at the audition and I didn't get in. I'm nobody. I have nothing."

"That is not true!" Kurt protested, tilting Rachel's chin up so she was forced to look at him. "You have me. You have all your friends and family who love and support you. And come on, you're _Rachel Berry!_ Do you really believe that not getting into NYADA is going to stop you from living your dream? You are a STAR. One way or another, you will get your spotlight."

Rachel smiled through tear-filled eyes. "My dad has connections at NYU," she said. "He performed with the head of the musical theatre department in 1985, and he said that he could get them to consider me for late admissions. I could study there for a year and then try again for NYADA next year."

"Rachel, that's great!" Kurt said enthusiastically. "That's the Rachel Berry I know and love! We are going to have a BLAST in New York. Just you wait."

Rachel pulled Kurt into a hug. "Thank you," she whispered. "You always know what to say."

"That's because I'm always right," Kurt said, and she laughed.

"True."

"So, what do you say, Berry?" Kurt asked, pulling off his shirt. "Race you to the water?"

"You're on."

* * *

><p>Kurt sighed contentedly as the warmth of the sun dried the water on his back. The grass was soft beneath his body, and he felt completely relaxed, as Blaine gently stroked his fingers through his damp hair.<p>

After an hour of playing and swimming around in the lake, Kurt was feeling pretty tired. It had been an amazing and exhausting day, and right now, he was content to just lie there by the lake until the sun went down.

"Hey, Kurt, Blaine, wake up." Kurt forced himself to open his eyes and sit up at the sound of his dad's voice.

"It's getting kind of late," Burt said. "The rest of us are thinking about heading off. You coming?"

Kurt looked down at his boyfriend, yawning as he slowly sat up. "I think we're gonna stay here for a few minutes," Kurt said. "We'll catch you guys up."

"Okay, but don't stay out too late. Come and say goodbye to everyone before they go, it might be a while before you see them all again."

The boys nodded and got to their feet, sharing hugs and tearful farewells with everyone as they slowly trickled off. Eventually, everyone was gone, and it was just Kurt and Blaine and the lake. The sun was sitting low in the sky, and Kurt figured they had about an hour before sunset.

Kurt lay back down on the grass with a sigh, and nodded towards their pile of clothes. "We should probably put those back on," he said. "I don't want my car seats to get damp."

"Wait," Blaine said, leaning over Kurt kissing him on the neck. "Not yet." Kurt giggled as Blaine kissed him passionately, and began to tug on the waistband of his swim trunks. "One more time, for old times' sake?"

Kurt nodded, bending his head to suck at that spot beneath Blaine's ear. "For old time's sake."

* * *

><p><strong>13 days later<strong>

Blaine sighed, reaching up to wipe the sweat from his brow as he closed the trunk of the truck he was working on.

"You done?" Kurt asked, coming up behind him and wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Mhm," Blaine responded, turning to look at his boyfriend, who had several dark smudges on his face. He smirked. "You're so sexy when you're all covered in grease."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Well, take one last look," he said. "You won't see it again for quite some time. I have to say, I'm not too upset about the fact that I'll never have to wear these horrendous coveralls ever again."

"Oh, come on," Blaine said, "you know you'll miss this place. If I hadn't started working here, we never would have met."

"Hmm, I suppose you're right. One day, when I am a Broadway star, I will look back on my days as a lowly mechanic and remember how I met the love of my life. It's oddly romantic."

Both boys turned around at the sound of the door opening as Burt walked in, a camera in his hands. "I am taking one last picture of all of us before you guys leave tomorrow," he said, setting up the camera on top of one of the shelves. "Go stand in front of that Subaru."

"Daaaad," Kurt moaned, "My hair is a mess and I have dirt all over me!"

"I don't care," Burt said, "you and Blaine are leaving me here all alone, the least you can do is take a picture."

Despite his joking tone, Kurt could tell that his dad was really very sad about their imminent departure. "Dad, that's not true. We'll call you every day, and we promise to visit whenever we can. We're not disappearing!"

Burt sighed. "I know. It's just going to be lonely here in the garage without you two to keep my company. Even if I hire someone else, it won't be the same. I'm going to miss you kids."

Kurt stepped forward to hug his dad, and gestured for Blaine to join them. The three of them shared a long hug before Burt pulled away, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "Okay, okay, let's take this picture before I'm sobbing all over the place. I'm setting the timer, get into position!"

He ran back to where the boys were standing and stood between them. They smiled, and the shutter clicked.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kurt and Blaine stuck the picture in their memory scrapbook before packing it away in one of the many boxes littering Blaine's room.<p>

"That's the last of it," Kurt said as he sealed up the box. Blaine twined an arm around his waist and pressed a kiss to his temple.

"Are you ready to go?" He whispered.

Kurt paused for a minute, taking a last look around the room. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah. Let's hit the road."

They left the room hand-in-hand, both scared out of their minds. Yet somehow, they still knew that despite whatever twists and turns the future may bring, they would be just fine.

**THE END**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: PLEASE READ**

**HA! It is finally here! Thank you so much for your patience :) The epilogue was hell to write, let me tell ya. I basically just wanted to tie up any loose ends and I hope I did that :)**

**In other news, I asked you guys what you wanted me to write next, and you guys have spoken. You said that you wanted the age-difference fic, the first chapter of which is now posted under the title _Don't Keep Your Distance_. So, if you wanted to go check that out, that'd be awesome.**

**I love you all! The response I have gotten for this fic has been more than I ever hoped for, so thank you guys so much, and I really hope you'll stick around to read more of my stuff :)**

**xox - Karishma**


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